Unknown Identity
by WookieeBeta
Summary: Certain circumstances leave Yugi alone in the middle of a forest... PG-13 for strong language in later chapters. [Completed]
1. Dark Duels

Summary:  Certain circumstances leave Yugi alone in the middle of a forest... 

PG-13 for strong language in later chapters.

A/N:  This is my first time posting to FFN, and my computer doesn't like it, so it may take me a while to get all the formatting, etc. to my satisfaction…bear with me ^grin^

Disclaimer:  Hey, hey, wait a second.  If I actually _owned_ Yu-Gi-Oh!, do you really thing I would be posting here?  And do you really think that the leading (female) role would be Téa?  Therefore, do I own Yu-Gi-Oh! ?  (Unfortunately… ^cries^)

Unknown Identity

Chapter One:  Dark Duels

The clouds gathered above a dark mountain and lightning cracked through the black sky, revealing the knife-like edge of a huge precipice.  Rain poured down in sheets.  On the mountainside, two men ignored the rolling thunder.  

Yami Bakura smirked, an evil expression that sent a chill of fear up Yami's spine.  It was heightened by the knowledge that the other yami had a good reason to be smirking – he had nearly defeated the Game King.  

"Come on, Yami Yugi," Yami Bakura prodded.  "Surely the Game King can't be this easy to defeat?"  Yami snarled, but even as he did so his false body flickered and began to fade.  This prolonged battle of energies in the real world without the aid of a true physical form was wearing on him, and he was exhausted, more so than he had been since well before he had begun sharing Yugi's body.  

_Yugi.  _The yami sent a quick glance over to where the helpless young form lay prone on the ground, alive but soulless.  His friends Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda were lying next to him.  Yami Bakura's first move in this final battle had been to trap their souls in soul cards, leaving them completely unable to fend for themselves, and leaving Yami with no choice but to fight.  

Yami wrenched his thoughts back to his present situation just as a brilliant bolt of Yami Bakura's spirit energy caught him in the back.  He fell forward and landed heavily on the ground, gasping for breath.  Yami struggled to rise to his feet, but Yami Bakura planted his foot squarely on his back and pinned him down.  

"I've failed," Yami whispered almost inaudibly.  "I've failed…" 

"Ready to hand over that millennium puzzle of yours, Yami Yugi?" Yami Bakura sneered.  "Or shall I just take it from you by force?"  He dug his heel into Yami's back, and Yami grimaced in pain.  

"You'll…never…get…my…puzzle!" Yami snarled as a sudden burst of energy shuddered through him.  He rolled over and away from the other yami's foot, then scrambled to his feet, but the sneer on his opponent's face made him stop dead in his tracks.  Rather than following Yami, Yami Bakura had approached Yugi's helpless form and removed his millennium puzzle.  

"You were saying?" he asked with feigned politeness.  "But I think I'll give you a little choice.  You can allow me to keep the puzzle, and I won't roll your precious Yugi off the cliff.  Or you can fight me, and each of your friends will fall to their deaths after your demise."  He glanced over the edge of the precipice.  "And after looking down, I'd say the odds of survival are pretty low."  He sneered.  

Yami snarled, but he knew there was nothing he could do.  It was his life versus the lives of Yugi and his friends – the choice was clear.  His shoulders slumped in defeat.  

"The puzzle is yours," the yami said softly.  

"Weakling," Yami Bakura spat as he turned and began to walk away.  Behind him, Yami fell to his knees in the mud and his shoulders began to shake as the reality of his failure sank in.  

"Wait!" a voice called from the darkness.  "Yami, stop!"  Yami's head turned, but it was not him the approaching figure was speaking to.  Yami Bakura halted and spun, a look of pure hatred on his face. 

"Well, if it isn't my meddling other, Ryou Bakura," he snarled.  "What do you want?"

"I want a duel," the normally quiet Ryou said flatly.  Yami Bakura stared at him in shock, but then burst out in laughter.  

"You? _You_ want to challenge _me _to a duel?"  His laughter rose, drowning out the rolling thunder.  Ryou's eyes narrowed.  

"What, afraid to take the challenge?" he prodded.  Yami knew it hurt the peaceful Bakura to have to act this way, but the light-haired teen was very determined.  Yami Bakura growled softly.  

"Why would I fear to duel you?" he sneered.  "There's no question of the outcome – _I _will win." 

"Then you will duel?" Bakura asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.   

"Yes.  I will duel – you know I enjoy crushing your spirit," Yami Bakura replied.  

"Ryou…" Yami spoke up for the first time.  His voice was weak, a measure of just how exhausted he was.  "You can't duel with identical decks.  The duel will go nowhere."  He paused and fumbled in a pouch at his side.  His elegant fingers drew forth a deck in perfect condition, and he held it out to Bakura.  "Use mine.  You know it better than Jounouchi's."  Bakura nodded and took it from him.  

"Thanks, Yami," he said.  Then he turned back to his yami.  "But this will be a duel for more than just entertainment," he said.  "If I win, I get the millennium puzzle and the soul cards, and you spend the rest of eternity in the Shadow Realm."  Yami Bakura's eyes narrowed, but he nodded.  

"I don't suppose I'll have to worry much about that," he said with a sneer, "but I have a few conditions as well.  If I win – which I will – I keep the millennium puzzle and the soul cards, and this will happen to the rest of your friends."  The millennium ring around his neck began to glow, and a brilliant beam of light erupted from Yugi's forehead.  

"There's no saving your friend now," Yami Bakura sneered. 

"Yugi!" Yami yelled, launching himself at the other yami.  But his strength failed him, and he fell face-first into the mud.  "What have you done?" he spat, glaring at Yami Bakura.  

"Nothing of consequence," Yami Bakura said, an evil grin dancing at his mouth.  "Or at least, not after…_this!_"  Before Ryou or Yami could react he braced his foot against Yugi's side and sent his soulless body tumbling down the cliff.  

_"Yugi!"_ Bakura and Yami yelled at the same time.  Yami's false body vanished and his spirit form leapt from the cliff as well.  Bakura stood dumbfounded for an instant before turning to his yami with an icy determination in his eyes.  

"Let's duel."

A/N:  Please review, tell me how bad it is…flames will be used to burn school papers, schools, etc…. 


	2. Legacy of Yami

Disclaimer:  Hey, hey, wait a second.  If I actually _owned_ Yu-Gi-Oh!, do you really thing I would be posting here?  And do you really think that the leading (female) role would be Téa?  Therefore, do I own Yu-Gi-Oh! ?  (In other words, no…unfortunately… ^cries^)

Unknown Identity

Chapter Two:  Legacy of Yami

Bakura's fingers shook as he pulled another card from the top of Yami's deck.  _This is it_, he thought.  _It all comes down to this one card.  If I lose this duel, my friends die… _He didn't even bother to think that he too would probably die.  After living with his yami for so long, death would probably be a relief.  He closed his eyes and hung his head for a moment, gathering his courage.   Then he raised his eyes to his hand – the Dark Magician!

A/N:  Sorry for the length – or rather, lack thereof… It'll get somewhat better in the next few chapters ^grin^  As always, please leave a review – flames will be used to burn random flammable (and non-flammable) objects…


	3. A Defeat

Disclaimer:  ^sigh^  Must I _really _say it again?  

Angry Lawyers:  YES!!!

Fine then, be that way…WookieeBeta does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!…

Angry Lawyers:  Thank you.  

Unknown Identity

Chapter Three:  A Defeat

"No!" Yami Bakura yelled.  He had nearly had his other beaten, his will broken – and then that cursed Yami Yugi's favorite card had interfered.  The Dark Magician had decimated his forces.  

"Dark Magic attack!" Bakura's quietly accented voice ordered.  Here in the normal world and without dueling discs there was no point in ordering the cards to do anything, but it was a habit long ingrained in both duelists.  Yami Bakura did the mental math rapidly.  A vision of red LED numbers dwindling rapidly to zero passed through his mind, but he forced it aside.  

"That was your last monster," Bakura said.  "And the last of your life points.  You've lost."  Yami Bakura glared at his other, but even in his rage he was a man of his word.  He stood, the fires in his eyes blazing, and removed the millennium puzzle from his neck.  He pulled the soul cards from his pocket.  

"Give me the puzzle and the cards," Bakura said quietly.  "That was our agreement."  Yami Bakura's eyes flashed.  He was a man of his words, all right…

"Sure, Ryou," he said with feigned cheerfulness.  "I'll give them to you…fetch!"  He threw the puzzle and the cards into the air.  Bakura's eyes went wide as he saw his efforts vanish as if in a puff of smoke.  He ran to the edge of the precipice and caught one of the cards as it fluttered down, but the puzzle was too far out.  He could do nothing but watch it disappear into the murky gloom.  

"Yami!" he yelled in rage as he spun.  Yami Bakura was disappearing into the gloom as well.  Bakura suddenly felt the millennium ring around his neck glow, and it seemed as though a new life was inside him.  Yami Bakura yelled as the dark clouds of the Shadow Realm closed in around him, trapping him.  The ring's glow faded, and Bakura fell to his knees.  Never before had he been able to control the ring…  

The other three soul cards settled in the mud around him, a silent reminder that he was not yet finished.  Standing, he dried off all four cards and fanned them out in his hand.  Pausing for a moment, he removed Yugi's soul card and slipped it into his pocket, then returned his gaze to the remaining soul cards.  The ring glowed again, though not as brightly.  A white mist began to form around each card.  The mist became a dense fog completely surrounding him, and he forced down the lump of fear rising in his throat.  Finally the fog condensed into three separate figures.  They floated through the air and molded to the three figures lying prone on the ground.  

"What – what happened?" Jounouchi coughed, sitting up.  Anzu rubbed her forehead as she rose to her feet.  Honda stared around blankly for a moment before his eyes settled on Ryou. 

"Bakura!" he exclaimed.  "What happened?  Where are we?"

"We're on the top of some mountain," Ryou replied.  "My yami brought us all here, though he left me unconscious some distance away.  He trapped all of your souls in soul cards in order to keep you out of the way while he destroyed Yami."

"Where's Yugi?" Anzu asked, her voice filled with concern.  "Shouldn't he be here, too?"  Bakura bowed his head and took a deep breath.  

"I'm afraid…I'm afraid Yugi is dead."  His friends looked at him in silent shock.   "My yami was strong, and he had been whittling down Yami's strength for some time," Ryou explained.  "By the time I came to and found my way here, he had managed to make Yami turn over the millennium puzzle."  There was a collective gasp of surprise.  "I didn't hear exactly what he said, but I believe it had something to do with pushing Yugi over the cliff if Yami didn't admit defeat.  At any rate, Yami surrendered, and my yami was about to destroy him for good when I finally arrived.

"I challenged my yami to a duel the instant I got here.  I wasn't sure I could win, but if nothing else it would give Yami a chance to recover his strength and try to get the millennium puzzle back.  But – " Ryou's voice cracked, and he had to take a steadying breath before continuing.  "But while we were discussing conditions, my yami shoved Yugi over the cliff.  Yami followed him."  

"No…" Anzu's eyes moistened and a tear rolled down her cheek.  "No…"

"But his soul – what happened to his soul?" Jounouchi demanded.  He seemed to be taking the news harder than the others, but Bakura knew that he had a clear head when it came right down to it.  

"It is still trapped in this soul card," Bakura replied, pulling the card from his pocket.  "I wasn't sure if I should release it yet, just in case Yugi's body…" He trailed off.  

"In case he's dead," Honda said flatly.  Bakura nodded.  

"I've made so many wrong decisions today… I didn't want to do it again," he said softly.  Then he fell to his knees again and his shoulders shook with quiet sobs.  _It's my fault that both Yugi and Yami are gone…  If I hadn't interfered, they would have both survived!  I'm such an _idiot! 

Anzu put her arms around him, and his sobs finally subsided.  "Come on, Bakura," she said gently.  "This isn't over yet.  What happened to the millennium puzzle?"

"My yami threw it over the cliff as well," Bakura said, raising his eyes slowly.  Anzu hugged him tighter and tried not to let him see the tears streaming down her face.  

"Then we need to go look for it," Honda said.  He stood and pulled Jounouchi to his feet as well.  "Come on, Anzu, Bakura, let's go find us a puzzle."  

"Hey, guys!" Jounouchi yelled an hour and a half later.  "I think I found part of it!"  He held up a small oddly shaped piece of gold and showed it to his friends.  "The rest of it's got to be around here somewhere!"  They decided to split up into two groups to look.  Thirty minutes of frantic searching later, there was still no sign of Yugi or his puzzle.  Anzu stared mournfully at the swiftly flowing river that ran only feet away from where Jounouchi had found the puzzle piece.  

"Don't even think it, Anzu," Honda said sternly.  "He's not drowned, he just can't be."

"But there's no other explanation, Honda!" Anzu said desperately.  "He can't just have disappeared, either!  It's not possible!" 

"She's right," Bakura said.  "With hair like his, we should be able to see him even in this darkness and rain.  He's not here.  There's no point in looking any more."

"Then…" Jounouchi bit his lip.  

"Then what?" Honda asked.  "What is it, Jounouchi?"

"What should we do about his soul?"  They stared blankly at each other, at a loss for words.  "I mean, would it be better to leave him trapped forever inside a card or to let him return to his body, even if it's dead?"

"There's no good answer," Bakura said after a long silence.  "Either way it would be torture for him." 

"And either way he's dead to us." Anzu said.  

"I say we let his soul go to his body," Bakura said flatly.  "I know what it's like to be trapped, and it would be a relief to die."  

Honda nodded his agreement.  "It's hard, but I agree."   

"I think so too," Anzu said.  "It's better than spending an eternity stuck in a card.  What about you, Jounouchi?"  Jounouchi hesitated before answering.  

"I lose my best buddy either way," he finally said.  "I'll go with whatever you decide."  

"Then it's unanimous," Bakura said.  "We release his soul."  He pulled the card from his pocket again.  Anzu's eyes went wide as she saw the millennium ring begin to glow through Bakura's thin waterlogged shirt and backed away in fear as the white mist appeared.  Instead of becoming a dense fog, though, the mist just expanded until it blanketed the entire area.  It dissipated slowly, and Yugi's innocent face faded from the card.  The ring grew dim.  

"Bakura!" Honda exclaimed as his friend collapsed.  "Bakura, what's wrong?"

"I cannot…control the ring anymore," he gasped.  "It's too powerful.  I can't use its power again…" Honda nodded and helped him up.  

"It's all right, Bakura," he said.  "With Yami Yugi and your yami both gone, I don't think we'll have to worry about the millennium items anymore anyway.  You don't have to use it again."

"I certainly hope not," Bakura said softly.  There was a long silence, and the rain from the sky wasn't the only liquid running down any of their faces.  

"I just can't believe he's gone…"

A/N:  ^watching Match of the Millennium, Part 2^  I'm sorry, but that Toon Summoned Skull is just scary…  ^shudders^  You know the drill – please drop a review, flames will be used to burn all Toon Summoned Skull cards…


	4. Missing Teens

Disclaimer:  WookieeBeta owns Yu-Gi-Oh! and everything to do with it!!  

Kid on the Street:  Yeah, right.  And Star Wars really exists.  

WookieeBeta:  Hey, don't bust _all _of my bubbles!

Unknown Identity

Chapter Four:  Missing Teens

"You say your son has been missing for two and a half days, Mr. Bakura?" the tall policeman said.  Mr. Bakura nodded.  

"He didn't come home from school Tuesday afternoon," he said.  "He can take care of himself, I know, and sometimes he goes to a friend's house without calling me, so I wasn't too worried the first day, but he would never do that two nights in a row."

"Is there any chance he may have run away?" the policeman asked.  "Has he been at all strange lately?"

"Not at all," Mr. Bakura replied, forcing back tears.  "He's been perfectly happy for the last few weeks."  

"Tell me, Mr. Bakura…  Is your son friends with Yugi Mouto, by any chance?"  Mr. Bakura looked up sharply.  

"Why, yes, as a matter of fact – why do you ask?"

"Now, Mr. Bakura, I don't want to worry you, but it seems that Yugi Mouto and several of his other friends also went missing on Tuesday.  As a matter of fact, it seems that they disappeared in the middle of the school day.  No one's seen head nor tail of them since."  Mr. Bakura sat down very suddenly.  

"So that's why you asked if he might have run away…" he said quietly.  The policeman nodded in reply.  

"Now, what was your son's name?" 

"Ryou Bakura," Mr. Bakura replied, steeling himself for the long and painful interview process.  

A/N:  Again, sorry for the shortness… I tried to keep this fic down below novel-length – I think I tried a little too hard in some parts… 


	5. An Endless Forest

Disclaimer:  Kazuki Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh!, not WookieeBeta… 

Unknown Identity

Chapter Five:  An Endless Forest

"It's been ten days, and we _still _don't know where we are," Anzu said desperately.  "We'll never get home at this rate!"

"Don't start thinking that way," Bakura said sternly.  "That's the road to defeat.  Didn't you learn that from Yami?"  They were seated with their backs against a tall tree, taking a short break before continuing their long and seemingly pointless walk.  The forests around the mountain looked endless, and they had seen no signs of civilization at all.  Jounouchi had been the first to despair, but one mention of Yami had been enough to reinforce his unfailing spirit.  Now he was the only one who really thought they had a chance.  Sure, Bakura was putting up a tough front, but he had opened his heart to Jounouchi three days before, and Jounouchi knew that in his heart he agreed with Anzu.  

"Bakura's right," Jounouchi said.  "Even now Yami can still help us.  He never gave up, not even when it was completely hopeless, remember?  And he _always_ pulled through, just like we're going to do now." 

"Jounouchi…" Honda's voice was tired and thin.  "We're in the middle of nowhere with no food, no water, and no map.  We haven't eaten anything but berries for ten days, and now even those are getting hard to find.   We have no idea where we are or where we're going.  How can you keep thinking we'll make it?"  Jounouchi lowered his eyes and didn't reply.  He, too, had been considering all of that for a while, and he didn't have a good answer.  He just knew that if he kept believing that they would make it, they would.  

"Believe in the heart of the cards," Bakura muttered.  He pulled Yami's deck from his pocket.  It was now the one thing that gave him hope.  It wasn't a _real_ deck, of course – Yami couldn't carry anything physical unless he was in Yugi's body – but even so it had substance and weight.  Bakura believed that its close proximity to his millennium ring was what kept it semi-real.  

_Wait a second, _he thought.  _My millennium ring!  If my yami could use it to bring us here, maybe _I _can use it to take us home!  It's a risk, and it may destroy me, but still… _ He stood and gestured for Jounouchi to come with him.  They walked into the shadows of the trees, out of easy earshot of the others, and Bakura motioned for them to speak in low voices.  

"Jounouchi…my millennium ring."

"Is he trying to take over again?" Jounouchi blurted softly, his eyes worried.  Bakura grinned slightly.  

"No, it's not that.  He's trapped in the Shadow Realm.  But Jounouchi, if he could use it to bring us to the mountain, maybe _I _can use it to take us home!"  But Jounouchi shook his head.  

"Bakura, last time you used that thing you couldn't walk on your own for a day, and that was just to release a soul.  Transporting four physical forms from an unknown point…it might kill you!"

"But you and the others would survive," Bakura pressed.  "Do you think we're the only ones suffering from this?  How do you think your families feel?  We've been gone for over a week, Jounouchi!  And Honda's right, we're not going to be able to make it out of this forest without a miracle. It's just too big."

"Wait a week," Jounouchi begged.  "We're still alive.  We still have a chance."  But it was Bakura's turn to shake his head.  

"Jounouchi, in a week I won't be able to harness its power, much less use it four times.  It's iffy enough as it is." 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm getting tired, too," Bakura said sharply.  "I used almost all of my energy releasing your souls, and I haven't had a decent sleep since."

"What?" 

"It's _him_, Jounouchi.  He haunts my dreams now, forever calling to me to come to him, to release him.  I'm afraid to sleep."  Bakura dropped his head.  "But that's not important.  Jounouchi, listen to me.  If we do it now, today, I can at least get the three of you home before I run out of energy or he takes over."  He looked his friend full in the face, his eyes pleading.  

"One week, Bakura," Jounouchi said flatly, his tone making it clear that the discussion was over.  "If we haven't made it out of here in one week, you can try.  Now, go get some sleep."  He turned and walked back to the others without another word.  Bakura followed meekly a moment later, his determination vanishing into the wind to be replaced by his normal subservient attitude.  

"Two weeks in this damned forest," Honda spat weakly as he sat down on a moss-covered log.  "And no end in sight."  His hair was wild and unruly, being too short to tie back but long enough to keep getting in his eyes.  None of them had escaped the tortures of the last seventeen days without harm.  They were all thin and getting thinner, and their clothes were torn almost beyond recognition.  Jounouchi had taken to leaving his shirt off most of the time, preferring to use it as a bandana to keep the hair out of his face.  Surprisingly enough, Anzu had stopped telling him to put it back on.  

"Bakura!" Anzu cried as the light-haired boy collapsed.  He moaned slightly.  

"I'm all right," he gasped, sitting up.  "Don't worry about me."  He sent a glance to Jounouchi, who refused to meet his gaze.  Bakura's pale hair was filthy, matted with twigs and leaves.  Anzu carefully pulled it away from his face for him and tied it back as well as she could with a vine creeper.  

"We all need a rest," she said.  "Here's as good as any other place." 

"No water," Honda said.  

"No berries," Jounouchi added.  

"No predators, either," Anzu pointed out.  "Bakura needs sleep more than nutrients right now.  Food won't help when he's too weak to chew it."

"Really, Anzu, I'm fine," Bakura protested.  "Jounouchi…" For the first time in three days, Jounouchi looked him in the eyes.  

"I should have listened to you earlier, Bakura," he said softly.  Honda and Anzu looked back and forth between the two of them, confused.  "Now I've killed us all…" Bakura shook his head.  

"I can still try, Jounouchi," he said.  "At least one of you can get home, to tell them what happened…."  

"And kill yourself in the process?  No, Bakura!  Not while we can still make it."

"What are you two talking about?" Anzu asked blankly.  

"Bakura wants to try using his millennium ring to send us home, but he doesn't have enough strength," Jounouchi said darkly.  "Just releasing Yugi's soul exhausted him for days, and that was when he was in decent shape."

"Jounouchi's right, Bakura," Honda said unexpectedly.  "It would kill you."

"But you'd survive!" Bakura said.  "Don't you understand?  What's worse, one death or four?  Besides, think of your families!  They must be going insane by now, not knowing.  At least this way my dad would know."

"Then why don't _you_ go back, Bakura?" Anzu suggested.  "You could tell them what happened just as well as we can – probably better, seeing as how you were the only one not trapped in a soul card."  

"What, and leave the three of you here?  I can't do that!" Bakura cried desperately.  "Please…it's better this way, believe me…"

"Bakura, there's something you're not telling us," Jounouchi said.  "You're more determined now than you were when you asked me alone.  What's going on?"  Bakura hung his head.  

"It's _him_.  He's trying to leave the Shadow Realm, to replace his soul with mine.  I…I don't know how long I can hold him off.  And if he takes over while we're in this forest…" He shrugged helplessly.  "If we do it now, I can keep him back long enough to send you three home.  After that, I don't know what will happen."

There was a long silence.  

"So you're saying you're pretty much sunk either way," Jounouchi finally said.  Bakura nodded.  

"There's no good answer," Anzu said slowly.  "No matter what we decide, there's a good chance that you'll die."  A tear slid down her cheek.  Bakura pulled her into his arms and she buried her face in his shoulder.  Bakura's eyes lit up with a fierce fire, and his ring began to glow brightly.  The dark clouds of the Shadow Realm closed in around them.  

Bakura felt the shadows begin to eat away at his energy, and he knew he had to act quickly.  He fought to concentrate on a secluded bench in Domino City Park where he knew there wouldn't be any people.  Jounouchi yelled as he faded and finally disappeared.  Bakura disentangled himself from Anzu's arms and sent her next, then the wide-eyed Honda.  His strength was almost gone.  He fell to his knees, trying to summon the strength to follow them, but the presence of an all-too-familiar spirit interrupted his efforts.  

"So you've finally come," Yami Bakura said.  Ryou scrambled frantically to collect the last of his strength, but a bolt of his yami's energy caught him in the side and he fell prone to what served as the ground in the Realm.  He felt his energy disappearing.  

"Still a weakling," Yami Bakura sneered.  

"Stay away from me," Ryou snarled, stalling for time.  "I didn't come for you."  

"Oh you didn't?" Yami Bakura said.  "Then why _did _you come?"

"None of your business!" Ryou snapped.  _Finally! _ _Concentrate…concentrate… _

Yami Bakura shouted in rage as his other's form faded quickly, disappearing from the Shadow Realm once more.  

 Lying on the ground near the park bench, Ryou Bakura opened his eyes and looked around blearily.  Anzu was unconscious a few feet away, and Jounouchi was trying to wake Honda.  Bakura closed his eyes and fell instantly into a deep sleep.  

A/N:  Yay, back to the fun people (and decently long-ish chapters)!  


	6. Many Reunions

Disclaimer:  You know the drill – WookieeBeta doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh!…

Unknown Identity

Chapter Six:  Many Reunions 

"Bakura!  Hey, Bakura, wake up!  You did it!  Come on, man, wake up!  We made it!  We're home!"  Jounouchi was shaking his shoulders violently.  "Come on, man, let's go see your dad."  Bakura finally looked up and stared into his friend's face.  

"Dad…dad?  Yes, let's…" His voice trailed off and his shoulders went slack as he slipped back into unconsciousness. 

"What's with him?" Honda asked. 

"He's exhausted," Anzu said.  "He went through much more than the three of us, and nearly got trapped in the Shadow Realm on top of it all.  Or didn't you see his yami sneaking up on him while he sent us?"  Honda stared at her in surprise.  

"His yami?"  

Anzu nodded.  "He's trapped in the Shadow Realm.  I guess when Bakura took us there his yami felt his presence, because I saw him coming.  I didn't get a chance to tell him, though…  We're lucky he made it."  Tears formed at the corners of her eyes again.  "Come on, you two pick him up.  We'll carry him home."  Jounouchi and Honda nodded and lifted their pale-haired friend between them.  He was frighteningly lightweight, and Jounouchi had the bad feeling that it wasn't just his naturally light figure that was to blame.  

"We'll go to his house first," Anzu said.  "It's just a few blocks away.  This way we won't have to ride the bus."  Jounouchi nodded, and they set off to Bakura's house.  

Mr. Bakura's head jerked up as the doorbell rang, snapping him out of a light doze.  

"Who is it?" he called.  His voice was tired and rough – the past two weeks had been torturous for him.  

"Open the door," a girl's voice called.  "We're friends of Bakura's."  _Bakura.  _The policemen had told him that if his son hadn't returned by now, he probably never would.  

"Coming," Mr. Bakura replied, standing and walking to the door.  He opened it and stood aside without looking up.  

"Dad?" Bakura's weak voice came.  Mr. Bakura's head snapped up, and tears streamed down his face when he saw his son being half-carried by two other teenage boys.  He rushed forward and they embraced, neither taking any notice of the other three around them.  

"Ryou…oh, God, Ryou, it's really you, you're really alive…" Mr. Bakura was sobbing uncontrollably.  

"Sir, Bakura really needs to lie down," Jounouchi said gently, carefully separating father from son.  "He's had a rougher time of it than we have, and that's saying something."  For the first time Mr. Bakura looked at the other three teenagers, and he gasped in surprise.  They were all thin and exhausted-looking, covered from head to toe in dirt and leaves.  His son's hair was dark with filth and tied away from his face with a vine.  

"What happened?"  Mr. Bakura said, lifting his son gently from Jounouchi and Honda and carrying him to a nearby couch.  

"We're still not quite sure," Anzu said.  "Um, do you mind if we borrow your phone and ask our families to come over?"

"They don't know you're back?" Mr. Bakura asked in surprise.  Jounouchi shook his head.  

"We came here first.  Your son is in pretty bad shape, and your house was closer than any of ours."  Mr. Bakura shook his head in surprise.  

"Sure, go ahead – it's right over there."  He pointed.  

"Thanks," Anzu said.  She turned to the others.  "Mind if I call first?"  Jounouchi and Honda shook their heads.  

"Wait a second," Honda blurted quietly just as she began dialing.  "We should call Mr. Mouto, too.  He needs to know what happened to…"

"To Yugi," Jounouchi said, nodding.  "I'll do it."  Anzu nodded and redialed.  There were tears running down her face by the time she hung up, but she was smiling.  

"You next, Honda," Jounouchi said. 

"Where's Yugi Mouto?"  Mr. Bakura asked from the other side of the room.   He hadn't overheard their quiet conversation.  "I thought he was with you."  Honda's voice was the only sound in the room as he talked to his parents.  The tears that suddenly appeared in Jounouchi's eyes were enough answer, and Mr. Bakura didn't ask for more details.  

"Your turn, Jounouchi," Honda said, setting down the receiver.  "You sure you want to do this?"  Jounouchi nodded.  

"Someone has to, it may as well be me.  I was closest to him, after all…" Jounouchi called his parents first.  The answering machine picked up.  He left a message saying that he was safe and at Mr. Bakura's house, and would they please come.   He gave the address and then hung up.  He took a deep steadying breath before dialing the number of Mr. Mouto's game shop.  

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Mouto?  This is Jounouchi, a friend of your grandson's."

"Yugi's not here," the old man said.  Jounouchi could hear the pain in the old man's voice.  

"Mr. Mouto, could you please come to Mr. Bakura's house for a few hours?  I have some news about Yugi."

"Who is this?" Mr. Mouto asked. 

"I'm Jounouchi.  I used to come around to your store with Yugi all the time – I'm the one that knocked over that display rack year before last."  
"Jounouchi?  Weren't you one of the ones who disappeared with my grandson?"

"I am," Jounouchi said.  

"You were all together, then?  You're all back?"

"Most of us," Jounouchi said, nodding.  His voice broke.  

"Why hasn't Yugi called, then?"

"Mr. Mouto…" Jounouchi took another deep breath.  "Could you please close the store and come to Mr. Bakura's house for a few hours?  I have some news that I'd prefer to tell you face-to-face."  He heard the shopkeeper's sudden intake of breath on the other end of the line.  

"It's not about my grandson, is it?" he asked.  

"I'm afraid it is, sir…" Jounouchi told him the address and said goodbye, then hung up.  

"He'll be here as soon as he can," he said to the others.  "Oh, I really don't want to do this…." He sighed.  The sound of car doors outside made them all look up.  Mr. Bakura went to the door and opened it almost before the doorbell rang.  

"Anzu!"  Anzu ran forward and nearly jumped into her parents' arms, tears streaming down her face once more.  Honda's parents arrived only a minute later, trailing a police car.  The policeman got out and seemed ready to give Honda's dad a ticket for speeding, but when he saw Honda's now well-known face framed in the window he immediately got back into his car and left.  

"Now we're just waiting for my parents and Mr. Mouto," Jounouchi said softly, watching Honda's emotional reunion with his parents.  

Jounouchi's dad walked into the dark house and flipped on the lights.  A blinking light on the answering machine told him that he had fifteen messages.  He listened to them with half an ear, finger poised above the 'erase' button.  They seemed to all be messages from friends and coworkers sympathizing with him for the loss of his only son.  Hot tears welled up in his eyes and his finger stabbed down viciously toward the button as the fifteenth message started, but a familiar voice made him freeze.  

"Hey, Mom, Dad, it's Jounouchi…."   

The next morning, every newspaper in the county had a headline along the lines of "Missing Teenagers Return!"  There was throng of students outside of the local high school, all discussing the strange reappearance of their friends, but they were disappointed when none of them turned up for class.  

The gamers in the area were disappointed when they saw the sign on Mr. Mouto's game shop, "Closed," but they were even more surprised when Kaiba Land too shut down.  When it opened again a week later, there was a large statue of the Dark Magician card with an inscription.  It read "In memory of Yugi Mouto, King of Games."

A/N:  Many reunions, yes, but not quite enough for poor Grampa… (What's his name in Japanese, btw?  I'm stuck with the American dubbed version, all the names I've used here I picked up from other fics – which is my excuse for any misspellings, etc ^grin^  Let me know if I've gotten any of them wrong and I'll try to fix them, btw…)  

One more thing – btw means 'by the way' ^is too lazy to type it out^


	7. Strange Awakening

Disclaimer:  ^munches strawberries^  Huh?  Oh, yeah, WookieeBeta does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! (or much of anything else, for that matter…)  ^thinks to self:  Man, I've _really _got to get someone to say my disclaimers for me…^

Unknown Identity

Chapter Seven:  Strange Awakening

Yami desperately searched for an inspiration, any way of saving his hikari, but nothing seemed reasonable.  Without the millennium puzzle, he couldn't re-enter Yugi's mind, and without Yugi's soul there was no way his body would survive.  Yugi's body had landed facedown in the raging river, and Yami knew that without a soul of some kind within it, it would die.  And if Yugi's body died, so would Yugi's soul the instant it was released from the soul card.  A wild idea struck him suddenly, and he decided to try it.  It was dangerous, but better than nothing…

He entered Yugi's physical body and took over his brain himself, trying to keep his thoughts away from the emptiness of Yugi's soul room.  The body came alive in a way he had not known in thousands of years.  He felt his lungs burning, felt the soreness in his neck and the fiery pain in his left leg.  He raised his head and took a deep breath of air, choking on the mouthful of river water that came with it.  He squinted against the rain and the water splashing on his face.  Then the raging water calmed as the river deepened and broadened, and he began to regain control of Yugi's wildly flailing body.  He had no idea how far downriver he was, but he knew that Yugi's friends would be unable to find him.  He was on his own.  

He struck out towards the nearer shore, but the pain in his leg made him rethink his plan.  Yugi's leg was obviously broken, which meant that once he made it to shore he was stuck anyway.  Would it be better just to let the poor boy go, to let him drown now rather than keep him stuck in this forest for an unknown length of time?  Yami allowed Yugi's body to float passively while he debated with himself.  

_We're in this together,_ Yugi's young voice came back to him.  _You're not alone.  We're fighting with you…_

_I can't let the young one down_, Yami decided.  _I can keep his body alive long enough to get back to some sort of civilization, and without his soul also inhabiting his body I can do it without the millennium puzzle.  But without the puzzle's power, I won't be able to survive long anyway… _

Yami struck out for the shore again with a freshened determination, though doubts unnumbered still lurked at the back of his mind.  He let Yugi's left leg drag uselessly in the water, knowing that using it would only injure it further.  Nearly two hours later, he was lying on the ground a few feet from the riverside with the leg splinted and reset.  He had nearly forgotten what it was like to feel physical pain, but he bore it gladly nonetheless – for Yugi's sake.  

YAAAAAAAAHHHH! Yugi's voice screamed suddenly.  

Yugi! Yami shouted with glee.  Bakura must have set you free…Yugi?

Who are you?! Yugi's panicked voice came from his soul room.  Where am I?  _What's going on?!_  Confused, Yami decided to continue controlling Yugi's body for a while.  He didn't want the young one to hurt himself in his confusion.  

Yugi, it's me, Yami!  What's the matter, Yugi?  Yugi?  There was silence in Yugi's soul room, but Yami could still sense his presence.  

Who…who are you?  And who's Yugi? Yugi's voice came shakily.  And why can't I move my body?

I'm your yami, Yami said.  Your darker side, your other half.  Don't you remember?  And you can't move your body because I'm in control right now.  Do you want to take over?

Of course I want to take over! Yugi raged.  Let me _out of here!_  Yami heard him slamming against the door of his soul room. 

All right, Yugi, I'm going to let you take over, but you need to know that it's going to hurt.  Your leg is broken, and I think your neck may be slightly sprained as well.  Yami very slowly disconnected himself from various parts of Yugi's mind, letting the boy take over bit by bit rather than all at once.  Something strange was going on here, but he didn't know what.  He relinquished the last bit of control – 

Yaaah!  He suddenly felt his spirit thrown from Yugi's body.  _Of course!  Without the millennium puzzle, I have to focus to stay in contact… This is going to be harder than I thought_.  Yami concentrated and managed to get back into Yugi's mind.  He "walked" down the hall to where the doors to his and Yugi's soul rooms faced each other, but something seemed different.  Where before the "walls" had been plastered with Yugi's "posters" – special thoughts and memories that he liked to share often with Yami – they were now completely bare.  

What – what are you doing? Yugi asked.  

I'm trying to figure out what's wrong, Yugi, Yami replied.  I don't understand what's going on, why you don't know who I am, and I'd like to find out.  He paused by the door to Yugi's soul room.  Yugi…

Who's Yugi? Yugi asked again. 

_You're _Yugi, of course! Yami answered in surprise.  Then it clicked.  _Oh, no…no, it can't be true! _ 

I'm Yugi?  Yugi's mental voice was bewildered and frightened, and it nearly broke Yami's heart to listen.  

Yes, your name is Yugi.  You're a teenage boy from Domino City, Japan, who got mixed up in some affairs well over his head – through no faults of his own, of course.  _God, no, I've caused this… If I had never made myself known, never taken control, this would never have happened…Yami Bakura would have never done this to him… God, Yugi, I'm sorry… _It was all Yami could do to keep from breaking down.  Listen, Yugi, I'd like to ask you a favor.

What do you want?  Yami steeled himself.  Only once before had he looked in Yugi's soul room, and that only when Yugi had specifically invited him in.  It felt like the ultimate invasion of privacy, but Yami could see no way around it..  

I'd like to look in your soul room.

My _what?_

Your soul room, that room you thought you were trapped in when your soul first returned to your body. 

Why? Yugi now sounded suspicious as well as frightened and confused, and it did Yami no good to hear it.  

I think it may explain a few things.  Please, Yugi…

Well, all right…  Yami nodded his thanks, knowing that Yugi would be able to sense it, and put his hand on the door.  There was no doorknob, but then there never had been.  All it took to open Yugi's door was a light push.  His own door, he knew, was much harder to open, and once you were inside you had to be cautious.  Even he didn't know what was hidden within the depths of his own soul room.  He couldn't count the times he had been nearly destroyed trying to discover his own secrets, but ever since becoming friends with Yugi he had given up the effort.  

The door swung open. There was a soft light, gentle but bright enough to see clearly.  Yami expected to see piles of toys, the representations of memories, but instead the room was completely empty.  

_Or is it? _ His glance fell on something in the corner, a small box of some sort.  He walked over and picked it up.  _What?  A Duel Monsters deck?  Why…why would he have allowed him to remember _Duel Monsters_, of all things?  _Yami shook his head in confusion.  _Nothing about his grandfather, or his friends, nothing about me…nothing but a _deck? He flipped the deck over and looked at the first card – the Dark Magician.  

"Perhaps you can answer my questions, Dark Magician," Yami said, but the card gave no answer.  He flipped through the deck.  Indeed, it was the same deck that he always dueled with, Kuriboh and all.  Not a card was missing.  _Strange…_  Yami placed the deck back on the ground and left.  

Well? Yugi pressed.  Find anything?  

Yes, Yami replied thoughtfully.  A deck of Duel Monsters cards.

Duel Monsters…oh yeah, I remember now!  That's a great game! But… Yugi's voice trailed off, and Yami could almost hear him frown.  

But what?

I don't remember ever playing it before.  I know every rule, I know every card in that deck and how to use it, but I don't remember _how _I know…  He began to sob.  

Yugi, maybe I should take over for a while, Yami pressed gently.  You need some time to think.  Besides, I think I may be able to help you.

How could _you_ help me?  You're nothing but a _spirit!_ Yugi snapped.  Yami took a step backward, shocked.  It was as though Yugi had slapped him across the face.  

Yugi… he said softly.  

Don't talk to me!  Leave me alone, get out of my mind, _leave me alone! _Yugi wailed.  Yami stepped out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit as the door to Yugi's soul room slammed shut.  He turned and walked silently into his own soul room, deeply hurt by Yugi's words.  The cold darkness of his own soul room was no comfort, and Yami wept.  

_Who is he? _the boy thought frantically.  _I don't trust him, whoever he is.  He wants control of my body – but if I give it to him, what will he do?  What will he do if I don't?_  He cried uncontrollably, the pain in his leg and neck completely forgotten.  _I don't know where I am, how I got here, I don't know anything!  Anything except Duel Monsters…_ His fingers fumbled for a pouch at his side and drew out a deck of cards.  He flipped it over and looked at the card on the bottom – the Dark Magician.  An image flashed through his mind for a brief instant, a picture of a tall thin man in elaborate armor with a long staff.  Then the image was gone, leaving him with less hope than before.  

He flipped through the deck card by card, carefully peeling apart those that the water had stuck together.  Almost two hours passed.  By the time he realized what he was doing, he had them spread all around him in a semi-circle.  He recognized each and every one of them and could give their attack and defense points without looking.  He began picking them up, thinking that it was time he started moving.  He picked up the very last one - the Silver Bow and Arrow.   _Arrow… _

Duck! the spirit's voice rang through his head.  He did as ordered, rolling at the same time.  His broken leg screamed in protest, but he ignored it.  He slipped the deck into its pouch and made sure it was secure before looking up.  

Only a few feet away there was a group of seven nasty-looking natives, all holding weapons of some sort and all pointing their weapons directly at him.  

"Uh-oh…"

Let me take over, the spirit's voice came, calm and confident.  The young man nodded and retreated to his empty soul room.  He picked up the deck and riffled through it.  It was the exact same as the one in his pouch.  He felt the strange helpless feeling that he had felt when he first woke, the feeling of not knowing what was going on, not being able to control his own body, and it made him nervous.  He leaned against the wall with the deck clasped in his hands and tried to relax.  _I have to trust the spirit,_ he realized.  _It seems to know who I am, and how I got here, and how to help me_.  He closed his eyes.  _I just don't know if I _can _trust it…_

Yugi? Yami called softly a while later.  The pain of the broken leg was overwhelming, especially now that he had had to run on it for several miles, and he wanted to ask Yugi's permission to remain in control for a while.  He didn't want the young one to have to suffer the pain that he had caused.  Yugi, are you there?

Oh, sorry, spirit…I guess I dozed off.  What's going on?

Well, we're safe for now.  We outran the natives, but I'm afraid it may have hurt your leg quite a bit.  I wanted to know if you'd let me stay in control for a while, at least until the pain subsides – I don't want you getting hurt because of me.

It's because of you I survived, the boy replied.  Yeah, go ahead and stay in control…I guess I need to get used to this anyway.  But tell me, does everyone have a spirit in their head?

What? Yami asked, bewildered.  The pain of the broken leg was making his thoughts a little unclear, and he didn't understand what Yugi was trying to ask.  

What I mean is, does everyone have a spirit living inside their head that can take control of their bodies and stuff?

No, Yugi.  Very few people have yamis, or 'spirits' as you call me.  I can only think of two that you – I mean, I – know of, to tell you the truth.  It's very rare.

Then why do I have you?

Yami hesitated.  It's kind of complicated, he finally said.  And it doesn't help that I don't entirely understand it myself.  As far as I know, you are actually my reincarnation, but I was trapped within your Millennium Puzzle… He shook his head.  Did you understand any of that?

No, was Yugi's reply.  What's a millennium puzzle?

_Finally, a question I can answer,_ Yami thought with a wry grin.  Many thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians made seven gold items that they called the Millennium Items. These items had special magical powers.  I don't know much more about them, except that you have one in the shape of an upside down pyramid.  It was given to you years ago in the form of a puzzle, and you worked on it as nothing more than a pastime.  When you solved it, my spirit was released, and I began to share your body.  It took you a while to learn to trust me, but once you did we became good friends.  Yami fell silent for a moment, remembering Yugi's harsh words.  Yugi was obviously thinking along the same lines.  

I'm sorry, spirit, he said softly.  I guess it's going to take a while to trust you again.  I don't remember you at all – or anything else besides Duel Monsters, for that matter.

_Yami Bakura's doing, _Yami thought.  Hatred welled up within him, but he forced it away.  Anger would be of no use now. 

I think I may be able to help you there, Yami said in reply to Yugi's statement.  When I began to share your body, the first thing I did was to essentially make a copy of everything you knew, so that if we were ever separated I would be able to think as you do, to find you again.  I think I can find a way to show you some of those memories.  Unless, of course, you don't want to, he added as an afterthought, aware that Yugi might still be untrusting.  

In his soul room, Yugi turned it over in his mind.  It would be nice, certainly, to see some of what the spirit said were his own memories, but then again…how would he know if the spirit were really telling the truth?  How would he know it wasn't some sort of scam?

I'll pass for now, he decided.  He fell silent and turned his thoughts back to the deck in front of him, wondering if perhaps he could recall some of his memories with the aid of the cards.  They were, after all, the only thing he remembered.  

A/N:  Heh, poor Yugi… BTW, I don't know much about the deck, either, so any dueling scenes/mentions of cards are likely to be inaccurate – let me know if you catch anything and I'll do what I can to fix it ^_^


	8. Disappearance

Disclaimer:  …

WookieeBeta:  Oh, yeah.  ^calls^ Tsukasa, get in here and give the disclaimer!

Tsukasa (from .hack//SIGN):  ^blink^  

WookieeBeta:  ^growls^  Tsukasa…don't make me take your Guardian away…

Guardian:  ^attacks WookieeBeta^

WookieeBeta:  ^blink^  Okaaaaay…wrong move…  Uh, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or .hack//SIGN!  ^runs^

Unknown Identity

Chapter Eight:  Disappearance

Yami winced as he struggled to his feet, intent on finding a stick long enough to use as a crutch so that he could move around.  It would be suicide to remain in one place in this forest for any length of time – if the predators didn't see him as easy pickings, the natives would probably kill him.  He waited for the pain to subside a bit before taking a few limping steps toward the riverbank.  He had reset the leg during his talk with Yugi, but that didn't help the pain much.  He was afraid that walking on it this much during the healing process would cause the leg to heal improperly, and he didn't want Yugi crippled for life.  He would have to find a place to hole up and wait until it healed.  

Suddenly Yami felt his control begin to slip.  His good leg buckled and he fell to the ground, sending a fresh wave of pain through the other leg.  He realized that he was weakening, having tried to maintain control too long without the aid of the millennium puzzle, and that if he wanted to survive he would have to give control to Yugi long enough to regain his strength.  

Yugi! he called.  There was no answer.  Yami struggled to regain control, but he knew he was already too weak.  He called again, but still the boy did not reply.  A burst of energy allowed him to get a slightly better grip on control, but almost instantly he lost it again.  He felt his contact with Yugi's mind fading rapidly.  

Yugi… he called a final time before the comforting presence of Yugi's young mind faded completely.   

"Wah?" Yugi exclaimed as he felt himself suddenly snap back to control.  The sharp pain in his leg came into focus, and he gritted his teeth.  He was lying a few feet away from the edge of a riverbank.  The splint on his leg had changed from the last time he had seen it, and he remembered the spirit mentioning that he had run on it.  He assumed that the spirit had splinted it again while they were talking. 

_The spirit…_ Where was he?  _He wouldn't just throw me into control like that,_ the young man thought.  _I don't know him that well, but he just doesn't seem the type.  After all, he keeps trying to protect me from everything.  Something must have happened! _ A flash of panic ran through his mind as he realized just how much he had grown to like the spirit, even though he still didn't trust him much.  At least he was company in this deserted forest.  

Yugi… the spirit's voice rang in his head.  It was weak, almost inaudible, but the young man knew he had heard it.  

"Spirit!" he exclaimed out loud.  "Where are you?  What happened?"  But there was no answer.  

Floating a few feet away in his spirit form, Yami was relieved to see Yugi take control smoothly, but the expression of pain on his face as the broken leg made itself known sent a wave of sharp regret through him.  He wanted to apologize, but didn't have the strength.  _Maybe I can re-enter his mind, stay with him until I'm strong enough to look for the puzzle… _For now he knew that without the puzzle, he at least would perish, and Yugi probably would as well without his help.  The boy was completely innocent and knew nothing of the evils of the world.  He would never be able to survive the forest alone.  _I have to try._

He gathered his remaining strength and once again forced himself into Yugi's mind.  He stumbled down the hall toward his soul room, but never quite made it.  He lost consciousness partway down the hall and slumped motionless to the floor.  

Ignoring the pain in his leg, Yugi climbed up into the relative safety of a tall tree and found a perch where he felt he would be somewhat stable.  Something was wrong with the spirit, and he found that he couldn't bear to lose its presence.  He _had _to find out what was wrong.  And to do that, he had to let go of his body and get into the spirit's soul room.  He settled himself on a large limb and leaned against the trunk, then let go of his brain.  He found himself sitting in his soul room again, deck in hand.  Setting the deck down, he walked through the door and peered into the dark hallway.  

In the faint light, he could just make out the figure of a body lying in the center of the hall, only a few feet from the soul doors.  He approached cautiously.  

"Who are you?" he demanded.  He left the door to his soul room wide open, and the light spilled into the hallway, allowing him a better view of the stranger.  He was wearing black leather pants, slightly too small, and had some sort of choker on his neck. His hair was strange, mostly black but blonde in the front and with red highlights.  It was styled in large spikes that stuck out in all directions.  Yugi shook his head, wondering who would dress like that.    

"Who are you?" he demanded again.  

"Yu…Yugi?" the figure said weakly.  

"_Spirit?_" Yugi exclaimed in surprise.  He had never imagined that the spirit would look like this.  

"Yugi, you must find the puzzle," the spirit gasped without moving.  "Without it, I cannot maintain control, and our contact will fade."  He paused for breath.  "I am very weak, Yugi.  I cannot help you for now." 

"Don't you die on me, spirit," Yugi said with sudden determination.  "I'll find that puzzle for you."

"It should be across the river.  We're almost at the base of the mountain that we were on when Yami Bakura tried to kill you."  

"How do you know?" Yugi asked in surprise.  "I thought we were lost!"

"We still are," the spirit said, and Yugi could hear the slight smile in his voice.  He carefully helped the spirit to sit up, and let him lean against him.  "I know where we are in relation to the mountain, yes – I just don't know where the mountain is."  He coughed weakly, and his shoulders slumped.  

"Yugi, leave me here."

"I can't leave you to die!" Yugi exclaimed.  "And that's exactly what you're going to do, weak as you are!"

"There's nothing you can do," Yami said sternly.  His tone was undermined by the weakness of his voice and by the fact that he could hardly open his eyes.  "Do me one favor, Yugi."

"Anything, spirit," Yugi said.  He was surprised to find himself nearly in tears.  "Anything."

"Never…give…up…" The spirit's eyes closed, and his body relaxed.  Yugi laid him gently on the floor and stood, a determined look in his eyes.  He still had no idea who he was, but he knew that he had a very good friend – if only he could find a way to save him.  He regained control of his body and carefully climbed down from the tree, wincing as he landed.  The broken leg pained him greatly, but it was less than the pain he knew he would feel if he lost the spirit now.  

"I found it!" Yugi exclaimed in surprise, scrambling to where a glint of gold showed through the foliage.  His hand found a fairly heavy chain and he lifted it up.  It was just as the spirit had said – an upside-down pyramid with the Eye of Horus made entirely of gold.  It glinted in the bright sunlight.  

_But wait…_ He looked at one of the corners on the flat base of the pyramid, what should have been the bottom but actually faced upwards.  There was a piece missing.  _I hope that's not important, _Yugi thought desperately.  He combed the area, but didn't find anything.  _Well, I'll just have to hope that won't cause any problems.  It's such a _little _piece, after all…_ But he still couldn't get rid of the nagging suspicion that that little piece was going to cause major problems for the spirit.  

He raised his eyes to the sky and realized for the first time how hungry he was.  He couldn't remember eating anything for the last three days, and beyond there he couldn't remember anything but Duel Monsters anyway.  He stood wearily and began searching for something to eat.  

He was amazed at how little it bothered him that he couldn't remember anything.  It was as if part of him knew that as long he and the spirit were alive, everything would be fine, regardless of whether or not he remembered anything of his past.  Or maybe it was just the calm confidence of the spirit rubbing off on him.  

_Berries! _ Yugi stuffed a handful of the berries into his mouth, relishing their sharp tang.  Though they were not enough, and he knew it, they at least took the edge off of his hunger, and that allowed him to think more clearly.  _I have to get back to the spirit_, Yugi thought.  _Maybe now that we have the puzzle, he'll be all right. _ He looked around and spied a nearby tree where he could let his body rest while he took care of the spirit.  His leg still hurt, but nowhere near as bad as it had at first, and though he was still careful he was much better at moving around without hurting it more.  He slung the chain with the puzzle around his neck, and minutes later he felt confident that it would be all right to release control of his body again.  

Spirit? he called before letting go.  Spirit, are you there?  There was no answer.  Shrugging, Yugi let go of his brain once more and found himself in the hallway.  It was still dimly lit by the light from his soul room, but the spirit was gone.  

"Spirit!" Yugi called in alarm.  "Spirit, where are you?"  He walked to his soul room, wondering if perhaps the spirit had crawled into it, but he was not there.  He was surprised to find that there was now a tree in his room.  He shook his head in confusion, but gave no more thought to it.  The spirit seemed to think that everything in his soul room was a reflection of certain memories, and the tree could easily be representing the forest.  After all, it was one of the precious few memories he had.  Turning, he walked to the door to the spirit's soul room.  

There was no handle on this door, either.  He pushed against the door, thinking that it would open as easily as his had, but he was unpleasantly surprised.  The door didn't budge.  He pushed harder.  Still nothing.  Taking a step back, he rammed his shoulder into the door with all his strength, and it slid open a few inches.  He wedged his toe into the crack and used every muscle in his body to force it open just enough for him to slip in.  

Unlike his well-lit soul room, the spirit's soul room was dark and cold.  Yugi could see nothing.  

"Spirit?" he called fearfully.  His voice echoed through the room.  He took a step forward and nearly lost his balance as his foot failed to meet a floor.  He managed to throw himself back in time, but only just.  Then a strange light began to collect a few feet away.  The light slowly resolved itself into a human form, but Yugi still couldn't quite make out what it was.  It wasn't until the figure moved closer and extended its long staff to point directly at Yugi's chest that he realized what he was seeing.  

"The Dark Magician!" he gasped in a mixture of fear and amazement.  _And he doesn't look happy to see me…_ Yugi scrambled backward against the door, hoping to get to the safety of his own soul room, but before he realized it he had pushed the door completely shut.  The weak light coming from his own soul room was shut out, and only the light from the Dark Magician remained.  

"Uh-oh," Yugi said quietly.  The Dark Magician began to glow more brightly and a brilliant light appeared at the end of his staff.  

"No!" Yugi yelled.  "Dark Magician, stop!  I'm a friend!  _Stop!" _ But the Dark Magician paid him no heed.  The brilliant light shot toward Yugi – 

"Stop!" the voice of the spirit rang forth.  Instantly the Dark Magician's attack disappeared, though the Magician himself remained.  Yugi could just make out the spirit's thin form making his way down a complicated route in the darkness.  

"What are you doing here?" the spirit demanded.  "It's dangerous!" 

"I – I'm sorry," Yugi stuttered.  "I just wanted to see if you were all right…"

"I'm sorry too, Yugi," the spirit said.  Yugi noticed that his voice, though stronger, was still pretty weak, and he stumbled as he walked.  As he got closer, Yugi realized that the spirit's face was deathly pale.  "I should have told you not to come in here without me."  He sighed.  "I don't understand why my room is so dangerous, but it is.  I can't count the number of times I've very nearly been destroyed just trying to find my own secrets."

"Then what were you doing wandering around when you're so weak?" Yugi demanded, understanding just how close he may have come to losing the spirit even after all of his efforts.  But the spirit smiled.  

"I know the first several miles of passageway well, Yugi," he said, "and like you I cannot stand sitting still in my soul room for a long time." 

"I can see why," Yugi said dryly.  "I don't see how you can stand having a soul room like this.  At least mine's somewhat comfortable, tree and all."

"Tree?" the spirit queried, confused.  

"It seems that I now have a rather large tree growing in my soul room," Yugi replied.  This seemed to cheer the spirit quite a bit.  

"That's good!" he said.  "That means you're starting to acquire some enjoyable memories again."

"Wait a second," Yugi said suddenly.  "If items in a soul room represent enjoyable memories, then why is yours empty?  Haven't you ever had fun?"

"Certainly," the spirit replied, "but all of my memories are stored much farther back.  Far enough back, actually, that I haven't figured out how to get to them yet.  I think the Dark Magician knows – " here a smile flashed over the Magician's face – "but he's not telling.  

"There's a reason he's your favorite card, you know," the spirit mused.  "He's mine as well.  And here in this personal Hell, he's my bodyguard.  Without him constantly warning me of traps, I would have never made it as far back as I have.  Unfortunately, he's only allowed to help me for so far, and then even he doesn't know."  The spirit looked up at the much taller Magician with a smile.  "But no one's perfect."  

Yugi could only nod.  It scared him that this spirit could be taking on so many of his challenges – rescuing him from the natives, splinting his leg – and still be stressing over his own problems.  What would happen if he ever lost him?  It didn't seem possible that he could survive without the spirit.  But then, he didn't remember ever being without him.  Yugi snapped back to reality as the spirit spoke again.  

"At any rate, why did you come?" 

"I found the millennium puzzle!" Yugi exclaimed excitedly.  The spirit smiled.  

"Ah, yes…I felt its power when you put it on."  He suddenly became very serious.  "Yugi, you must be careful not to lose the puzzle until you have found yourself.  Once you know who you are, you will no longer need me, but until then I fear for your safety, and without the puzzle I am weak and powerless.  Do you understand?"  Yami looked deep into Yugi's eyes, and there he found the answer.  

Yugi's hand went protectively to the chain around his neck and he gripped it tightly.  "I won't let anything happen to it," he said.  "But, spirit…" He looked down, unable to meet the spirit's intense gaze.  

"What is it, Yugi?" Yami asked concernedly.  

"The puzzle's not complete.  There's a piece missing.  I've searched for it, but it's nowhere to be found."  Yami sighed. 

"I was afraid of that.  It won't matter for a while, a year or two at the least and maybe longer, but eventually it will create problems.  Yugi, my strength comes from the puzzle, and without the complete puzzle my time with you will be much shortened."

"Then I'll find the other piece," Yugi said, but Yami just shook his head.  

"It's not there.  I can sense its presence, far from here.  We will try to get to it, of course, but I fear that it may take us too long."

"Where is it?" Yugi asked. 

"Domino City, Japan, in a small shop owned and run by Mr. Mouto," Yami said.  "Does that ring a bell?"

"No," Yugi said.  "Should it?"

A/N:  ^finally escapes from the Guardian^ That didn't go so well…maybe I'll just do it myself next time…  

Anyways.  I realize the title doesn't really fit, but I'm too lazy to go change it now…so it'll just have to make no sense whatsoever ^grin^ 


	9. StrangeEyes

Disclaimer:  ^glances around, looking for the Guardian^  I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or .hack//SIGN!  I _do _own Ashkari, but that's not important…  ^sees the Guardian approaching, followed by Tsukasa, and runs^

Unknown Identity 

Chapter Nine:  Strange-Eyes

"Yami…" Yugi whispered through parched lips.  "Take over…" Yami took over instantly, worried for the safety of the young one.  He was weakening, his body dying through lack of sufficient food.  The water was making him sick, as well, which wasn't helping matters.  On top of it all his leg refused to heal properly.  

They had been alone in the forest for almost two months now, and twice Yami had had to break his leg in an attempt to get it to fuse correctly, but it kept growing back crookedly.  Yami knew that if the leg didn't heal properly Yugi would never be able to run fast enough to evade predators or catch prey, and that would be his downfall.  But he also knew that continually having to break it again would have the same result.  

Many times Yami had been tempted to see if the power of the millennium puzzle would take them back to Domino City, but he knew that he too was still far too weak.  Besides, without the final piece the puzzle was nearly useless, just more dead weight for Yugi to carry.  While in one of his rare dark moods he had actually told Yugi to throw the puzzle away, to rid himself of its bothersome weight, but the young one had refused.  

"That's as good as destroying you," he had said.  "I can't do that."  

_It's strange, _Yami thought, _how Yugi began to trust me so much faster this time than before – before Yami Bakura stole his memory.  It's almost as if he really _does _remember that I mean him no harm…_

A few more weeks passed.  Yami was now in control most of the time, allowing Yugi to take over for short periods but never letting him get too tired.  After all, the young one would need his strength for when he was gone.  Yugi was spending quite a bit of time with the Duel Monsters deck in his soul room, and Yami had a feeling that he had ventured across the hall to talk to the Dark Magician more than once.  More than a feeling, actually – the Dark Magician had actually spoken to him about it the last time he had been in that cold Hell.  

"Young Yugi was here again today.  Would you like me to keep him out next time?"  

"No," Yami had said, shaking his head, "don't bother.  He needs the company.  With his body this weak, one of us must be in control all the time, and he is uncomfortable talking to me while I'm in control.  As a matter of fact, let him wander around if he wants to.  Just don't let him get hurt."

"But Yami!" the Dark Magician exclaimed.  "He would be invading your own mind!"     Yami just smiled.  

"I keep no secrets from my other, Dark Magician," he said.  "If anything, it may help him to remember.  He needs to find himself before we return to Domino City.  It wouldn't do for the Game King to return without knowing who his own friends and family are, after all."  The Dark Magician had nodded, but before he could speak another word Yugi had all but begged Yami to take over.  

Yami's thoughts snapped back to the present as he heard a sound in the bushes.  He stood wearily, trying not to let his weakness show in case it was a predator of some kind.  Then a dark face appeared almost in front of him, and he tried to take a step back in surprise.  Unfortunately, that was easier thought than done with a broken leg, and he fell flat onto his back.  

What is it? Yugi demanded from his soul room.  He had learned how to monitor Yami's emotions and knew when something was happening, but like all others he couldn't know every detail.  He depended on Yami to be his eyes while in his soul room.  _Even his mental voice is weakening, _Yami could not help but thinking.  

Natives, Yami replied.  But not the same as the first bunch we ran into.  This group seems more curious than anything else.

Do you want me to take over?

No, I can handle this, Yugi, Yami said.  He smiled inwardly – here he was, always trying to look out for the young one, and yet Yugi still worried about _his _health.  Yami turned his mind back to the matters on hand.  

"Who are you?" he asked clearly and slowly.  The native bent over and his face hovered only inches from Yami's.  He seemed fascinated by something, but not the puzzle – _my eyes and hair!  I'd almost forgotten how strange they are…_ Yami thought for the first time in months about his appearance.  With red, black, and blonde hair sticking out in every direction and violet eyes, it was no wonder the native was confused.  

Sure enough, the native reached out and touched his hair.  Then he grinned wildly and began to dance.  More natives appeared from the foliage, and they too touched Yami's hair and began to dance.  Then something heavy crashed against his head and everything went black.  

Yami?  Yami, what happened?  Yami!  Yugi called frantically, wondering why he suddenly couldn't feel the presence of the spirit.  He burst out of his soul room and glanced down the hallway – no one there.  Suddenly glad he had begun leaving the door to Yami's soul room open, he walked in – and tripped over a prone form lying on the ground.  

"Yami!" he exclaimed.  He flipped the spirit over and gasped when he saw that he was covered in bruises and scrapes, and the occasional burn.  His clothes were torn as well.  He called for the Dark Magician and told him to look after Yami while he took over.  The Dark Magician nodded, and Yugi took control of his body for the first time in days.  

It was horrifically painful.  He hadn't realized just how weak he had become, and now it seemed that the "curious" natives Yami had told him about before disappearing  were doing everything within their power to make him weaker.  

"Stop…" he moaned.  Their antics ground to an immediate halt, and they stared at him in amazement.  Apparently they had thought him dead.  

"You speak," one of the natives said in heavily accented Japanese.  

"Of course I speak!" Yugi cried.  "Why – "  He broke off, suddenly wondering if perhaps there was something he should know that Yami hadn't been able to tell him.  He fell silent and stared at the native.  

"You live."  Yugi just nodded this time.  

"But you dead."  

"Dead?"

"You drowned, two moons ago.  You dead in tree, one moon ago.  You dead on ground, one sun ago.  You dead, now now."  Yugi shook his head.  

"No, I'm not dead," he said.  "I was asleep, or maybe unconscious.  I wasn't dead."

"You dead."  

Yugi sighed.  "I was not dead, and that's final," he said.  The native seemed to get the point, because he stopped insisting that Yugi was dead.  Instead, he put his face right next to Yugi's.  

"You Strange-Eyes."

"I'm what?"

"You Strange-Eyes."

Yugi shook his head, still confused.  "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're saying."

"He's saying you have strange eyes, and that your name is now Strange-Eyes," the explanation came in perfect Japanese.  It was a tall woman, obviously at home in the forest but not a native.  Her skin was too pale, her build all wrong.  "But I'm not sure it's your eyes you should be named for – your _hair _is stranger."

"My hair?" Yugi parroted blankly.  His hand found its way to his head and traced his somewhat unruly hair.  "What's strange about my hair?"

"Well, it goes all over the place, first of all.  And besides, it's three different colors!  Come on, don't tell me you haven't seen your reflection before?"

"Not that I can remember," Yugi said mournfully.  He struggled to get to his feet, and the Japanese-speaking woman extended her hand and helped him up.  "Tell me, why are you all so interested in me all of a sudden?" he asked.  

"The chief likes you," she said, shrugging and motioning that they should start walking.  "Apparently he thinks you worthy of being in our tribe, since you've been able to survive on your own for over two months."

"Has it only been two months?" Yugi said quietly.  The woman didn't hear him.  

"By the way, my name is Ashkari," she said.  "In the native language, it means One of Many Tongues."

"One of Many Tongues," Yugi repeated slowly.  "Okay, so what's _that _supposed to mean?"  Ashkari laughed, the first time Yugi ever remembered hearing true laughter.  Yami usually just smiled.  He took a step away from her in alarm.  

"Don't worry, I don't bite," Ashkari assured him.  "I was brought into the tribe years ago.  They found me wandering around the forest by myself.  I suppose I was lost, or something – I really don't remember.  I don't care, actually.  At any rate, I could speak three or four languages fluently, and I've learned several more since then, so they called me the one who could speak in many languages, or One of Many Tongues."  She shrugged.  "I can read and write most of them, too, but they have no use for that."

"Can you read maps?" Yugi asked suddenly.  

"Yes, if I had any to read," she said.  "But there aren't any civilizations except for native villages for hundreds of miles in any direction.  That's too far to go for just a map."  

"I see," Yugi said, his hopes falling again.  For a moment he had thought she might be able to tell him where they were, but that didn't seem to be the case.  Suddenly he stumbled and fell. 

"Strange-Eyes!" Ashkari called in alarm.  "What's wrong?"

"I'm just a bit weak, I'm afraid," he said.  "I may have survived on my own for two months, but not very well."  He smiled grimly.  

"Well, I don't think the chief will really care one way or another," Ashkari said, pulling him up by the arm.  She was surprisingly strong.  "I think he just likes your eyes – although he doesn't fancy your hair much."  She scowled at his hair.  

"Why doesn't he like my hair?" Yugi asked, confused.  

"In our village, all men are supposed to have short hair," she explained.  "Only women are allowed to grow their hair long.  But as long as you cut it, he won't care." 

Yugi shrugged.  "I don't suppose it matters much to Ya – I mean, me, but I'll have to think on it a bit."  _Almost slipped up there!  I'll have to be more careful from now on – I doubt the chief will like me much if I tell him that I've got a spirit inside of me.  And I think I should try to become part of the tribe – after all, I'll have much better chances of survival, and I can spend more time helping Yami if I don't have to worry about my physical body as much…_

A/N:  ^winces^ Okay, that ends _really_ badly…but I don't feel like rewriting it now, so ^shrug^ it'll have to live.  And I don't know _what _'ashkari' means, as far as I know I made it up…but it works for my purposes ^grin^


	10. Strange Occurrences

Disclaimer:  WookieeBeta does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… She does, however, own Ashkari – ^glances up to see Ashkari looming overhead with a nasty-looking knife^  Okaaaaay…perhaps _Ashkari _owns Ashkari… ^backs away^

Unknown Identity

Chapter Ten:  Strange Occurrences 

Are you sure about this, Yugi? Yami asked.  It will take a long time for your hair to grow back this way if you cut it short, and you always swore you would never change it, before – well.  He cut off before mentioning Yugi's loss of memory.  It hurt both of them to think about it, though he felt that it actually hurt himself more than Yugi.  Unable to remember anything but Duel Monsters, Yugi had acquired a blind faith in his yami, and he seemed ready to start over with his life – as long as Duel Monsters was never abandoned, of course.  They had taken to playing duels in order to get their minds off Yugi's body's condition.  

Yami, I can't remember it any other way, but then I've never seen it before, either, Yugi said.  You'll probably know better than I will, but I think if it helps get us into the tribe – and out of this forest – losing some hair will be worth it.

You _have _seen it before, though, Yami said.  When I'm not controlling your body, I look exactly how your body looks when I am in control.  Does that make sense?

Kind of, Yugi replied.  You're saying that I'm dressed in what's left of what was once black leather with a lot of buckles and have a big funny-looking hairdo?  Yami could not help but laughing out loud at this.  You know, Yami, that's the first time I've really heard you laugh, Yugi said.  I think I like it.

I suppose you could describe yourself like that, Yami said.  And I'm afraid it's true that I haven't laughed in far too long.  Perhaps now that you're joining the tribe I will be able to laugh more often.

I don't like the way you say that, Yami, Yugi said, his voice dark.  Now that _I _am joining the tribe?  What happened to _we_?

Nothing.  It's just that in a sense I'm not really joining the tribe – once you're strong enough to manage on your own, I'll be spending more and more time in my soul room.

But why, Yami?

Yami sighed.  I have to find the secrets of my past before I pass on to the next world, Yugi, the spirit said.  And I don't know how long that will take me.  I've been so busy helping you for the last few months that I just haven't had the time or energy to concentrate on my own fate.

I'm sorry, Yami, I didn't mean to - 

"Hey, Strange-Eyes!" Ashkari said, suddenly erupting from the foliage.  She looked at him oddly.  "You look different today, do you know?  Somehow older, maybe taller…or maybe I'm just going crazy," she said with a laugh.  "The chief wants you to come see him again tomorrow, when he'll tell you whether or not you're going to become part of the tribe."  She glanced at the long knife in Yami's hand.  "Planning to use that on yourself or your hair?"

"Hair, I think," he said, glancing at the knife as well.  "It will be strange, of course – I've had it this way as long as I can remember – but I suppose I'll get used to it."

"I thought yesterday you said you didn't really know what it was like, had never seen your reflection before."  

Sorry, Yami, I didn't know,  Yugi said from his soul room, his voice apologetic.  

"I haven't," Yami lied smoothly.  "But I suppose it will feel different to have less hair."  He shrugged.  "Or perhaps I'm just making things up."  Ashkari laughed again, and Yami realized just how much her laugh reminded him of Anzu.  He suddenly felt a pang of homesickness, and wished he could see his friends again.  _What? _he asked himself.  _Since when are they _my _friends?  They're Yugi's friends…_  He shook himself out of confusion and tried to focus on the present.  

_Sorry, Yugi_, he thought as he began to saw off the young one's once-prized hair.  He could almost hear the old Yugi protesting – or could he?

No!  Yami, no, stop!  

Yugi? Yami called, bewildered.  

What is it, Yami?  

Did you just tell me to stop?

No, Yugi replied, clearly just as bewildered as Yami. 

All right, I must have imagined it…  Yami continued cutting off Yugi's hair, piece by piece.  He watched it fall limply to the ground and settle silently in the forest soil…

Stop!  Stop it, Yami!  Don't do it any more!

Yugi! Yami called again. 

What is it this time?

You just told me to stop again.

I _what? _Yugi replied, startled.  Yami, I've been playing Duel Monsters solitaire, I didn't tell you to stop…

"Hey, watch what you're doing!" Ashkari said, her hand flashing out to grab Yami's wrist right before he impaled his own eye. 

"Wha…"  Yami's voice trailed off and the knife fell from his hand. 

Yugi, you had better take over, he said, shaken.  I just about blinded you there – it's lucky Ashkari stopped me.  The knife's on the ground.

All right, Yugi said, somewhat shaken as well.  You go rest for a while.  Yami released control of Yugi's mind all at once, suddenly afraid that he would start doing something else weird, and Yugi scrambled to take control.  

"Strange-Eyes, you're being very odd today," Ashkari said, catching him as he fell.  "More than your eyes are strange, I think."  She paused and looked at him closely.  "Strange-Eyes?" 

Yugi shook himself slightly and looked up.  "Oh, sorry, Ashkari," he said.  "I'm afraid I'm just a little bit out of it today."

"A little?" Ashkari asked incredulously.  "First you laugh at nothing, then you try to stab yourself in the eye, and then you collapse?  That's more than a little, Strange-Eyes!"  But Yugi was not listening.  His eyes were blank, and he didn't seem to be paying attention to anything in particular.  

"Strange-Eyes?" Ashkari said a final time.   Then she backed away as if in fear and disappeared into the foliage.  

A/N:  … 


	11. Strange Illness

Disclaimer:  Do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… Do, however, own a bunch of audio tapes with (low quality) audio copies of the American dubbed episodes =o)

Unknown Identity

Chapter Eleven:  Strange Illness

"Yami?  Yami, where are you?"  It was three days after Yami's strange incident with the knife, and in the meantime Yugi had not heard so much as a peep from Yami.  He seemed to have disappeared.  They were a part of the tribe now, but Yugi was more concerned about his friend.  He had excused himself early from the celebrations, saying he felt a bit ill, and had gone to lie down on a mattress that Ashkari said was made especially for him.  Then he had thrown caution to the winds and had completely let go of his body, intent on finding the spirit.  

"Yami!" Yugi called again.  He had looked in the hallway and in his soul room, but the spirit was nowhere to be found.  He had even walked through Yami's soul room, as far as the Dark Magician would let him, but hadn't found him there either.  He called again into the darkness, ever hoping to hear an answering shout, but none came.  

"You must let me continue, Dark Magician," Yugi pleaded.  

"It is too dangerous, Yugi," the Magician said.  "I cannot let you go in there alone."

"Then come with me!" Yugi cried.  

"I can go no farther than this," the Dark Magician replied flatly.  "Yugi, I fear for your yami as well, but I cannot let you pass.  You would perish."  Tears appeared at the corners of Yugi's eyes as he gazed into the darkness beyond the Dark Magician, but he knew it was useless.  The Dark Magician was completely loyal to Yami, and he would never allow Yugi to pass if Yami had ordered him not to.  Turning, he made his way out of the darkness before once more taking control of his body.  

"He's awake!" Ashkari shouted in surprise as Strange-Eyes' eyes fluttered open.  "How do you feel, Strange-Eyes?" she asked gently. 

"Horrible," Yugi replied truthfully.  His head felt like it was going to explode, and his skin was burning.  "What happened?"

"I don't know," Ashkari replied, shaking her head.  "You said you felt ill and came to lie down, and this is the first time you've moved in a week.  You haven't been able to keep down any food or drink, and we were afraid that our newest tribe member was going to die."

"I feel like I still might," Yugi said.  

"And its no wonder," Ashkari said, placing her hand on his brow.  "You could cook a fish on your skin – if you were careful not to let it burn."  Yugi smiled.  As awful as he felt physically, the pain of losing Yami was much worse, but for the first time in two months he didn't feel weak.  

"Well, now that you're awake, do you care to tell us how you want to be buried?" Ashkari asked.  She sounded serious.  

"What?!" Yugi yelped.  Ashkari shrugged.  

"I don't like it any more than you do," she said, "but none of the witch doctors for miles around have had any success at removing your illness.  It is likely that you will die.  The chief wants to know how the Strange-Eyes would like to be buried."

"I don't think I'll concern myself with that just now," Yugi said flatly.  "I'm not going to die just yet."  Ashkari raised an eyebrow, but Yugi never heard what she said because suddenly his vision swam and he found himself in a dark mysterious place filled with threatening shadows.  

I…I can't go on,_ Yugi thought.  His hand trembled.  _

You must! _Yami's voice came.  _You have to win this duel, for your Grandpa! 

For my Grandpa…_ Determination suddenly reared in Yugi's young heart, and his hand approached the deck again.  He pulled the card, glanced at it.  A smile flitted across his face as he lay it face-down…and collapsed. _

Yugi!

I can't do this, _Yugi thought.  _I can't risk hurting Kaiba, even to save Grandpa.  __

You can, _Yami replied.  _You _must_.  

No!  It's not right, _Yugi insisted. _

_"Celtic Guardian, attack!" _

What are you _doing?!_

_"No, stop!  Stop…" _I can never duel again, _Yugi thought…_

Yugi's eyes fluttered open again.  "Yami…" he whispered.  "Yami, what's happening…" There was no answer.  Yugi lay silent, shivering with more than cold, as he relived the memories over and over again.  Just two short clips, two tiny clips from his old life…and yet they filled him with terror.  

_Dueling, _he realized.  _I was dueling…but against who?  And who was the Grandpa I was trying to save?  Who was the Kaiba that I didn't want to hurt?  Who was _I?  But the silent confusion in his mind gave no answer.  

A/N:  I know, I know, the flashback lines are all wrong, but… ^sigh^ I don't have the time to listen to the tapes to find the lines (I don't really have time to be uploading this, actually, but – who needs school, anyway? ^grin^)  ^glances at chapter titles^  I have a thing for the word 'strange,' methinks… 

And that's all I have time to fix today, I'll try and get the other half edited and reposted tomorrow morning before school…Tenna telwan!  ('Until later' in High-Elven) 


	12. A New Life

Disclaimer:  WookieeBeta does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! (unfortunately for her, but that's a good thing for the rest of the world…)

Unknown Identity

Chapter Twelve:  A New Life

"Hey, Strange-Eyes," Ashkari said.  "You've been very quiet lately.  What's wrong?"

"It was a year ago today," Strange-Eyes said, his gaze distant.  "I haven't spoken to him for a year…"

"Spoken to who?" Ashkari queried.  She and Strange-Eyes had become fast friends, though both had to insist to others that it was no more than that.  They spent much time together, to be sure, but it was mostly because Strange-Eyes was still uncomfortable speaking the native language.  He had made the transition from outsider to tribe member quite smoothly after a sudden recovery from his strange illness, though he still couldn't  - _or won't, _Ashkari thought – explain what had happened.  The villagers had all but given up hope that he would survive and were in the process of preparing for mourning and the funeral when he suddenly stood and walked to the river.  He had returned a day later, completely healthy.  

"Hey, Strange-Eyes," she pressed.  "Spoken to who?"

"A good friend," Strange-Eyes replied, shaking his head slightly as if to clear his head.  "Come on, let's take this stuff back to the village."  

Two days later, Strange-Eyes was taken ill again.  Ashkari stayed by his side, ignoring the chief's orders to leave.  He muttered many strange things that she did not understand.  A great deal of it seemed to revolve around a Yami, but she could not figure out who this Yami could be.  Just over a week later, he stood and walked to the riverbanks.  This time, Ashkari followed him.  He washed and trimmed his hair, and then climbed into a tree, where he seemed to sleep.  She crept away to await him at the village the next day.

Another year passed, relatively uneventfully.  There was a small drought, but the tribespeople were well prepared and suffered few illnesses or injuries.  As the second anniversary of his induction into the tribe rolled around, Ashkari noted that Strange-Eyes seemed to get more and more distant, often the first to leave in the morning and the last to return from the forests, where he had chosen the job of hunting.  He was well skilled at it, but Ashkari followed him every day for a week and found that he in truth did not spend his time hunting.  

He would sit at the base of a tree and pull something from a pouch that he always carried.  Then the strange ornament that he wore around his neck would begin to glow, and some kind of shadow would begin to collect around him.  But always he shook himself violently before the cloud gathered completely around him, and would sometimes throw the ornament away from him violently.  If he did this, he would weep, and then carefully pick the ornament up and place it back around his neck before going on the hunt.  Ashkari did not mention this to anyone, but she began to keep a close eye on him.  He was strange, and in more than just his eyes.  

_Two years ago today I was first brought into the tribe, _Yugi thought darkly.  _That means that in two days I will fall ill again.  This year, I will go into the forest, where I will not frighten my people… _

"Ashkari," he said quietly that evening as he tended the fire.  "I am going into the forest tomorrow evening.  I will be back in just over a week."  He spoke in Japanese so that the other tribespeople would not overhear him, though he was now completely fluent in the native tongue.  

"The illness?" Ashkari asked, also speaking in Japanese.  Strange-Eyes nodded.  

"Yes.  It gets worse each year.  I do not want to frighten our people in case I do something strange."

"You fear you will summon the dark cloud, the cloud that frightens you so much," Ashkari said flatly.  

"How do you know about that?" Strange-Eyes demanded, whirling.  Ashkari bowed her head, expecting punishment, but spoke anyway.  

"I followed you into the forest for a week," she said, fighting back tears.  "I wanted to know why you were so strange.  I saw you begin to summon it, and then send it away."  She shrunk back, expecting Strange-Eyes to be angry.  But instead he became very quiet and sat down on the far side of their small fire.  Then she heard a strange sound – weeping. 

"Strange-Eyes?" she asked, concerned. 

"If I go to the Shadow Realm, I may be able to find Yami," Strange-Eyes said as evenly as possible, "but I fear it so, and now I am not sure I _want _to find him."  His shoulders shook.  

"Who is Yami?" Ashkari asked.  

"A good friend who saved my life many times," Strange-Eyes said.

"I have not seen him," Ashkari said.  "Where is he?"

"He was in my mind," Strange-Eyes said, "but now I do not know where he is.  He has been gone for two years.  I miss him…" He stood and walked to his mattress where he lay down with his back to Ashkari.  She just looked on in wonder.  Strange-Eyes was indeed strange in more than his eyes.  

_Why, Yami?  Why must I suffer this each year? _Yugi thought desperately in one of his moments of sanity between memories.  He had stopped experiencing his own memories, though - they were all Yami's now.  He wasn't sure if this was any better.  He now had a vague notion that Grandpa had once been very important to him, and that someone named Kaiba had at one time been his enemy, but that was all.  He did not know their faces, nor their full names, nor their relationship to him, though he suspected that Grandpa was indeed his grandfather.  

_Now, when I _want _to know my past, I have no way of learning it,_ Yugi thought mournfully.  _Yet two years ago when I was a boy lost in the forest with a spirit that could have shown me everything I turned down his offer.  Why was I so stupid?  _But Yugi did not have the opportunity to answer his own question as the memories dragged him into the dark abyss once more.  

"You're late," Ashkari said when Strange-Eyes stumbled wearily into the village nearly two weeks later.  "And hurt!" she exclaimed, noticing a deep cut on his side.  She sprang forward to inspect it, but Strange-Eyes waved her away. 

"A scratch," he said.  "I slipped from the tree."  She nodded in comprehension, but the other villagers were obviously still confused.  

"Let me rest," Strange-Eyes begged as the tribespeople crowded around his mattress, wishing to know if he was all right.  "I beg of you, just me rest.  I have not slept in a week."

"But that is all you do when you are ill every year!" one old woman sneered at him.  "You sleep for a week!"  Strange-Eyes turned his strange eyes on her, and she quailed when she saw the fires that burned within.  She turned and ran.  Strange-Eyes seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, and then the fires disappeared to be replaced by an exhausted hopelessness.  

"Let me rest," he begged a final time before collapsing on his back.  He would sleep, regardless of whether the tribespeople were there or not.  

"He is evil," the old woman was still whispering almost a year later.  "You did not see the way he looked at me!  If the fires in his eyes had been able to leap out at me, there would not have been a soul left alive for miles.  He will bring evil," she spat.  "He must be sent away…"

A/N:  Heh, I kinda like that old woman…gonna have to write her more often ^evil grin^  Finally got around to updating some more (homework's kept me busy for the past few nights)….  I'm going to try to get the rest of this revised and uploaded in the next few days, and then I'll get to working on some more ideas that I have ^motions for plot bunnies bouncing in the background to calm down^  As you can see, they're being fairly impatient with me…and Darth Real Life isn't helping…


	13. Ill News

Disclaimer:  WookieeBeta does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Unknown Identity

Chapter Thirteen:  Ill News

"The chief wants to see you," Ashkari said quietly to Strange-Eyes one day.  "I do not think it will be good."

"When do I go?"  They were conversing in the native tongue, but Strange-Eyes was sorely tempted to switch to Japanese so that the prying ears of the tribespeople would not be able to listen.  The glances sent his way recently had been icy, or fearful, or full of hate, or sometimes all three, and he was growing uncomfortable. 

"Tomorrow morning," Ashkari said.  "Just after the sun rises."  Strange-Eyes nodded.  

"I should leave," he said after a moment's silence.  

"What?"

"I should leave the village," he repeated.  "You have said it yourself – I am strange in more than the eyes.  I am frightening the tribespeople."

"You can't go!" Ashkari protested.  The villagers nearby turned to look at her, and she wisely switched into Japanese.  "You can't leave now, Strange-Eyes.  Besides, your illness will be coming next month.  If you are alone, what will you do afterward?  You could be caught by a predator, and be too weak to run away!"

"That is a risk I will have to take," Strange-Eyes said flatly.  "The old woman could be right, Ashkari," he continued.  "I am fearful of the powers I bear.  My Millen – I mean, my necklace has been growing more powerful.  Without Yami to help me control its power, I am afraid it may summon the Shadow Realm when I am unprepared."  He leaned close to her so that the other tribespeople would not overhear.  "It began to happen yesterday, Ashkari, just as I came back to the village.  That swarm of bugs I complained of was no swarm of bugs – that was the Shadow Realm.  I want to go there, to find Yami, and my desire can activate the necklace without my knowing.  Ashkari, I must leave.  Do you understand?"

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, but nodded nonetheless.  "I understand."

"Then goodbye, One of Many Tongues."

"Goodbye, Strange-Eyes."

Yugi rose early the next morning and went to see the chief. 

"Strange-Eyes," the chief said after a moment of silence.  "You know I love you like a son."

"I must leave, chief," Strange-Eyes said, raising his head to look the chief directly in the eyes.  "I frighten our – your – people.  I must leave today."

"Ah, Strange-Eyes," the chief said sadly.  "Ever have you been perceptive.  I was going to ask you to leave today."

"I know," Strange-Eyes said quietly.  "But I do not want the tribespeople to think you are weak and that you had to ask me to leave.  Better that they believe I am ill early, and that I am killed in the forest."

"Strange-Eyes is smart, as well!" the chief roared.  "Very well, you will go today, as if you are sick."  He peered carefully at the young man.  "Are you?"

"No, I am in health for now." 

"Then go well, Strange-Eyes."

"Stay well, One who Cares for the Weak," for so Strange-Eyes had taken to calling this man, this chief who took in so many who were rejected by other tribes.  Turning, Yugi disappeared into the forest, leaving the name of Strange-Eyes behind him forever.  

A/N:  ^is too lazy to think of a name for the chief^  But it works…kind of…  On we go!


	14. Untitled

Disclaimer:  Kazuki Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh!, not WookieeBeta.  WookieeBeta owns insanity.  

Unknown Identity

Chapter Fourteen

"Are you sure this is the place?" a man in a neatly pressed suit insisted. 

"Right here between these little flags," the younger man said, nodding.  "With a transmitter here to complete the transmitter net, Kaiba Corp. will be able to receive dueling-disc broadcasts from around the world." 

"And you worked this all out yourself, did you?" the older man said, trying to hide his sneer. 

"Actually, my younger brother Mokuba did," the younger man said.  "I was working with the latest beta model of our newest dueling disc system.  But now if you'll just place that transmitter rod as quickly as you can, we'll be outside of this forest before that storm breaks and back in Domino City by nightfall tomorrow."

"As you wish, Mr. Kaiba," the older man said.  

_Kaiba Corp.? Mokuba?  Dueling Discs? _ Domino City? _ Can I really be this lucky? _Thought after thought chased through Yugi's head.  He looked at himself and wondered if the men would ever believe that he wasn't a native.  After all, his hair was cut short and he still wore the clothes the tribespeople had made for him.  But he had the strange black choker around his neck, and the remains of his leather clothes under his native leggings, and of course the Millennium Puzzle.  _Perhaps it will be enough, _he thought hopefully.  

"Who's there?" the older man exclaimed in the native tongue as Yugi began rustling the bushes.  He knew better than to sneak up unexpectedly on anyone in this forest, especially if you wanted them to do you a favor.  

"My name here is Strange-Eyes," Yugi called in the same language.  Then he switched to Japanese as Kaiba stepped out of the nearby helicopter.  "But perhaps you can help me figure out who I really am."  He stepped out of the shade of the bushes, and Kaiba gave a loud shout of surprise.  

"But how do I know that you're Yugi Mouto?" he said an hour later as he faced the smaller man.  

"If I could answer that, I would have by now," Yugi replied.  "I'm not even entirely sure I'm really Yugi – I'm just going by what the spirit of the puzzle told me."

"Spirit of the puzzle…" Kaiba muttered.  "I remember Yugi mentioning something like that after our duel.  May I see this puzzle?"  Yugi extended the puzzle to him, but did not remove it from his neck.  

"I fear to remove it entirely until the last piece is fitted in place," he explained.  "The spirit, Yami, has not made his presence known in almost three years.  I fear that if I remove the puzzle from my physical body his presence will fade completely, if it hasn't already done so."  Kaiba nodded. 

"That makes sense."  He turned the puzzle over in his hands.  "Yes, this is the puzzle Yugi wore.  If he was alive, he would not let this belong to anyone else.  That means there are only two possibilities: You are Yugi Mouto, or Yugi Mouto truly is dead and you just picked up the puzzle on accident."

"There must be a way we can know for sure," Yugi said desperately.  "I, too, want a final decision one way or another, possibly more than you do."

"You would be surprised," Kaiba said.  "If my old rival returned, I'm not sure if I would rejoice or curse him to the ends of the earth.  I am now top duelist in the world, but from here there's no way but down.  I need a challenge."

"A challenge," Yugi mused thoughtfully.  "That gives me an idea…"

A/N:  Erm…


	15. Joyless Homecoming

Disclaimer:  Kazuki Takahashi owns Yu-Gi-Oh!, not me….

Unknown Identity

Chapter Fifteen:  Joyless Homecoming

The helicopter settled down smoothly on the helipad at Kaiba Land, and Seto Kaiba took his hands off the controls.  

"You're home, Yugi Mouto," he said, "if that really is who you are."  Yugi looked around, but nothing seemed familiar.  

"What should I do first?" he asked.  In the forest, everything had seemed to simple and straightforward, but here in the bustling city he was unsure.  He wished Yami was there to take control, to shield him from the confusing new life until he could adjust, but Yami was still missing.  

"I don't know about you, but I'd head over to your grandfather's house if I were you.  If anyone will be able to say who you really are – or aren't – it would be him."

"Thanks, Kaiba."

"Anything for the King of Games," Kaiba said as he leapt from the helicopter.  Yugi followed him out, and then walked through the exit gates and onto the street.  He stopped in shock.  Everything was so fast and confusing!  The cars moved at blazing speeds, like the prey he had learned to catch, and he could detect no pattern in their movement.  Going, going, gone, going there fast with no place to go.  He closed his eyes for a moment and dipped into the feeble store of memories he had regained from the illnesses, most of them Yami's.  There – a memory of walking from Kaiba Land to Grandpa's store.  

He looked around wide-eyed as he walked, but there was nothing familiar here.  He suddenly longed for the forest, the only home he remembered.  He abruptly realized that his leg never had grown properly.  The strange bobbing of the lights as he walked told him that he had a slight limp.  Beggars and pedestrians on the street gave him odd glances and wide berths as they passed, moving away as rapidly as they could.  Yugi hunched his shoulders and tried to make himself seem small and unthreatening, but he knew it was his strange clothes and ratty haircut that was doing it.  He had tucked the Millennium Puzzle into the remains of his jacket, as well, and it created a slight bulge that probably looked suspiciously like a weapon.

_I spend three years in the forest learning to be truly dangerous with my mind and body, and it's a nonexistent gun that these people fear_, Yugi thought with a wry smile.  _How ironic. _

He looked up suddenly and found himself facing a small game shop.  _This must be Grandpa's shop! _he thought excitedly.  _Now to find out who I really am…_

He reached out and rang the doorbell once, then waited.  There was no movement within the building, so he rang again.  This time, a face appeared at an upstairs window, but it apparently didn't see him because it disappeared and the shop was quiet once more.  He rang a third time.  

"Insolent teens don't know when to stop!" he heard a gruff voice exclaim.  A door slammed, and he could hear heavy footfalls coming down a set of stairs.  They approached the door.  A light flicked on inside just as the door swung open, and Yugi blinked in the harsh artificial light. 

"Store's closed," the short old man standing inside said roughly.  He looked Yugi up and down.  "Especially to people who can't even dress properly."  He began to swing the door shut and turn away, but Yugi was faster. 

"Mr. Mouto," he said.  "I need your help."

"What for, young kid?" the old man said, turning around.  "You look like you can take care of yourself all right."

"Not in the city," Yugi said, shaking his head, "and certainly not as long as I don't know who I am."  He paused, then plunged ahead.  "Look, Mr. Mouto, may I come in?"

The old man looked at him more closely.  "You know, you remind me of my grandson," he said thoughtfully.  "Yes, come on in and we'll chat for a bit.  It would do me some good to talk to someone, I think…" Yugi walked in, trying not to walk as silently as he was accustomed to so as not to frighten the poor shopkeeper any more than he already did.  

"Now, what is it that you need my help with?" the old man said.  

"I need you to help me decide who I am – or am not," Yugi said.  

"What do you mean by that?" Mr. Mouto asked.  

"I mean that I don't know who I am, Mr. Mouto, but I think that I may be Yugi Mouto."  The old man stared at him for a moment, and then tears welled up in his eyes.  

"That's a nasty trick to play on an old man," he said darkly, "making them think for even an instant that their grandson might still be alive.  He stood up and stormed to the door.  "Come on now, out with you, before I call the police!"

"Please, Mr. Mouto!" Yugi cried desperately.  "I wish this was a trick, but it isn't.  The spirit in the puzzle told me my name was Yugi Mouto and that I came from Domino City, but I don't remember anything before three years ago."  His voice cracked, and he had to stop talking.  

"My grandson didn't wear peasant's clothes," Mr. Mouto said sternly. 

"You're right, he wore black leather," Yugi said softly.  "So do I – or what's left of it."  He threw off the shawl-like garment that Ashkari had made for him two years before, revealing the remnants of what was once his leather vest.  Mr. Mouto's eyes fastened instantly on the heavy chain around his neck, and on the puzzle at the end. 

"That's my grandson's puzzle!" he exclaimed.  "You little thief!  Give that back!"  He lunged for the chain, but Yugi caught him and held him still.  

"Please, Mr. Mouto, don't take the puzzle from me," he said desperately.  "Yami is weak enough as it is, if he's still alive at all – the only way to save him is to put the last puzzle piece back in its proper place."  He lowered his eyes and released the older man, taking a step backward at the same time.  

"Where did you find the puzzle?" Mr. Mouto asked dangerously.  

"I found it near the riverbank," Yugi replied truthfully.  "Yami said that was where it had landed after Yami Bakura threw it off the cliff, but I don't remember anything about a Yami Bakura, or a cliff, or anything else except Duel Monsters."  His hand went to the pouch that he still carried at his side, and his elegant fingers drew forth the now slightly worn Duel Monsters deck.  

"Please, Mr. Mouto," he said.  "Tell me if this is the deck of Yugi Mouto.  Tell me if I am who I think I am."  The old shopkeeper took the deck and riffled through it.  His amazement grew at every card.  

"This _is _my grandson's deck!" he exclaimed.  "But then what's this?"  He reached in an identical pouch that he carried at his side and produced another deck, which Yugi could see wasn't a true physical deck at all.  "Bakura said that Yugi's yami carried it, and it's exactly identical to this deck…"

"Yami made it?" Yugi exclaimed.  "Then if the deck still exists, so does Yami!"

"The false deck has grown ever weaker in the past two years," Mr. Mouto said slowly.  "It was once almost completely physical, and entirely tangible – now I don't like handling it overmuch in case it completely disappears."

"Mr. Mouto," Yugi said suddenly.  "I know how to keep the spirit deck intact." 

"Hah!" scoffed Mr. Mouto.  "And how to you proclaim to do that?"

"By putting that puzzle piece that you have around your neck into its proper place on the puzzle, and saving Yami before he dies," Yugi said.  

"And how do I know you won't just run off with it?" Mr. Mouto said. 

"I'll let you keep the deck until you know for sure that I won't steal the puzzle piece," Yugi replied evenly.  "I give you my word as a duelist, as the King of Games, and as your grandson."  He didn't notice the startled reaction that Mr. Mouto gave when he called himself the King of Games.  

"Yugi would never give up his deck," Mr. Mouto said suspiciously.  

"Yugi – I – would never give up on his friends, either," Yugi countered.  Mr. Mouto nodded.  

"You have me."  He slipped both decks into the pouch at his side and then pulled the puzzle piece from the fine chain he kept it on. Yugi took it from him gently and pressed it firmly into its place on the puzzle.  The puzzle began to glow, and he felt a sudden warmth flow over him and through him.  

Yugi! Yami's voice came for the first time in three years. 

Y-Yami? he replied incredulously.  Yami, you're alive!

And stronger than I had hoped, the spirit answered.  I'm deep within my soul room, and have been for a long time.  How long has it been since you heard me last?

Almost three years, Yugi replied sadly.  I've missed you, Yami.

Well, I'm on my way out of my soul room, Yami said.  I'll be with you soon.  But tell me, how did you get the puzzle piece?

I told Mr. Mouto – Grandpa – that until he either trusts me enough to let me keep the piece or wants it back he gets to keep my deck.

You're with Mr. Mouto?

Standing right in front of him, as a matter of fact, Yugi responded.  You want to take over? 

Do I ever!  Yugi immediately relinquished control and allowed Yami to step in.  It felt wonderful.  

A/N:  Okay, the chapter title doesn't quite fit – it wasn't _completely _joyless.  But oh well, too late to change it now…  And please forgive Kaiba's OOCness in this chapter and the last, I just couldn't get him to be vile and still somehow make him give Yugi a lift.  ^sigh^  Such a stubborn character…


	16. Untitled

Disclaimer:  WookieeBeta is not the owner of Yu-Gi-Oh!, so put the lawsuits down and back away slowly!

Unknown Identity

Chapter Sixteen

Yugi woke suddenly and sat up, confused.  Looking around, it slowly dawned on him that he must be in his old room at Mr. Mouto's – _no, I must get used to calling him Grandpa_ – shop.  He stood under the skylight, let the sun's rays fall on his face as he looked out.  It was late morning.  _I overslept?  That hasn't happened in a while, _he thought with a wry smile.  He looked down at himself and realized that he was filthy.  

Shower's in the restroom – that door right over there, Yami said.  I think we need it.

I think you're right, Yugi replied.  And some new clothes, as well. 

That dresser against the wall, Yami directed.  Second and third drawers are uniforms, so don't bother with them.

Thanks, Yami, Yugi said.  

"Good morning, Yugi," Mr. Mouto said with a smile as Yugi made his way down the stairs.  Yugi responded in kind.  

"What?" Mr. Mouto said, looking at him oddly.   

Japanese, Yugi. Yami reminded him gently. 

"Oh, sorry – I said 'good morning.'"  He sat at the table across from Mr. Mouto and stared blankly at the food in front of him.  

"What's wrong, Yugi?" Mr. Mouto asked, looking at him closely.   

Uh, Yami?  Maybe you'd better take over…

What's wrong, Yugi? Yami asked, concerned.  

With everything that's been going on lately, I'd forgotten that today is the day I get sick… Yugi's train of thought broke off as suddenly his vision swam.  

"Take over!" he gasped, relinquishing control just as the first of the memories hit him.  

"Yugi, you're being awfully strange this morning," Mr. Mouto said, watching his grandson carefully.  His talk with Yugi the night before had made him decide that yes, this was his grandson – at least part of the time.  

"Yugi?"  Suddenly Yugi pitched face-first into his bowl of cereal.  Dishes flew everywhere.  

"Yaaah!" Mr. Mouto yelled, standing up just before the spilled milk could reach his lap.  "Yugi, what's wrong?"  The puzzle glowed, and he realized that that strange switch was happening.  Instantly Yugi picked his head up and shook it violently, flinging cereal out of his hair.  

"Yugi's sick," Yami said worriedly.  "I don't know why he didn't tell me about this before." 

"Sick?"

Yami nodded.  "I don't know what it does to him, but he's frightened, he's locked himself in his soul room and says he can't come out until it's over."  He looked up at Mr. Mouto, and the old man could see the fear in his eyes.  _He really doesn't want Yugi to get hurt, _Mr. Mouto thought, shocked.  Yami's face began to pale.  

"You don't look too good either," Mr. Mouto said.  "Why don't you go lay down for a while, while I clean up this mess?" 

"Yes…" Yami's voice trailed off as he stood and stumbled up the stairs.  Mr. Mouto watched him go, but he didn't hear the crash as Yami collapsed just outside of Yugi's bedroom door.  

"Yugi…" Yami gasped as he fell.  "Yugi, what's wrong…" He struggled to his feet and took one more step toward the door, but fell to the ground again.  His head whirled.   Throwing caution to the winds, he released control of Yugi's body and found himself still deep within the maze-like corridors of his soul room.  He shouted for the Dark Magician.  

"Yami?" the Magician said in surprise as he appeared.  

"Show me the fastest way out of here," Yami ordered him.  "I have to get to Yugi!"  The Dark Magician took off running, and though Yami's shorter legs and his slight limp hindered him Yami was still right behind.  A few minutes later he burst into Yugi's soul room, blinking in the light.  

"Yugi!" he exclaimed as he saw the young one's motionless body curled up against the far wall.  

"I'm all right," Yugi gasped, "for now… Yami, the memories…why won't they go away…" Suddenly Yugi went rigid and his fists tightened.  Yami jumped up in surprise as the puzzle around Yugi's neck began to glow.  A dark shadow began to collect around Yugi – _the Shadow Realm!  But why would he summon that here? _Yami thought, bewildered.  

The Shadow Realm deepened, and Yugi moaned in fear.  He turned and tried to crawl away.  

"Stop this!" Yami shouted.  His puzzle began to glow as well, sending out a bright light that crept into every corner of Yugi's soul room.  The Shadow Realm vanished.  Looking down at Yugi's pitiful form, he knew what he had to do.  

"Goodbye, Yugi," Yami whispered as he took control for the final time.  His hand trembled as he slipped the puzzle's chain from around his neck, but his aim was sure as he sent it flying to crash against the far wall.  He watched the final pieces fall to the ground.  Then the ground lurched underneath him as he was thrown forcefully from Yugi's mind…

"What is going on up there?" Mr. Mouto exclaimed as he heard a loud crash upstairs.  "What's that grandson of mine up to?"  Tossing down the damp dishtowel in his hand, he hurried up the stairs, but nothing could have prepared him for the scene that met his eyes.  

"Yugi!" he cried.  Yugi's small form was stretched motionless on the ground, and his Millennium Puzzle lay in pieces around him.  

"What…what happened?" Yugi groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head.  

"I should be asking _you _that, not the other way around," the older Mouto said gruffly, pulling his grandson toward him.  "That Yami took over and fairly ran from the room without telling me anything."  

"Yami?" Yugi parroted, eyes wide.  His gaze fastened on the puzzle pieces.  "My Millennium Puzzle!"  He tried to scramble to his feet, but the sudden movement left his head swimming and he fell back into his grandfather's arms.  

"You need to rest, my boy," Mr. Mouto said, standing and gently pulling Yugi to his feet.  "Come on, let's get you to your room."

"But the puzzle…" Yugi said desperately.  "Yami!"

"What about him?" Mr. Mouto said.  "He's gone, and good riddance.  I don't trust him at all."

"You don't understand, Mr. Mou – Grandpa," Yugi insisted.  "Yami is all that's left of the Yugi you remember!  If he dies, so does the old Yugi!"

"But you're right here," Mr. Mouto said, confused.  

Yugi shook his head slowly.  "You don't understand," he repeated.  "I don't remember anything except Duel Monsters and the three years in the forest.  I may be Yugi, Mr. Mouto, but I'm not _Yugi_.  All that's left of him is Yami."  Mr. Mouto opened his mouth to say something in reply, but Yugi never heard it.  His vision swam and he found himself in the Shadow Realm…

A/N:  Okay, little note here – these last chapters were never even in the original outline, they were all a spur-of-the-moment idea that somehow took off, so they're not very well thought-out (and as a result there are going to be a few comments, details, etc. that aren't going to make much sense…) – forgive me!  I couldn't resist the temptation!  ^grin^  

And one more thing:  None of the remaining chapters have titles, because I am _way _too lazy to come up with any more.  (The earlier ones just happened to fit, which is the only reason they're even there…)  So any suggestions would be gratefully accepted!  


	17. Untitled

Disclaimer:  WookieeBeta still does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! (not even a deck!  ^sniffle^), even after all her attempts to do so…

Unknown Identity

Chapter Seventeen

"Leave the young one out of this!" Yami shouted, but Yami Bakura merely laughed.  

"What, and waste my three years of effort?  Hah!" Yami Bakura scoffed.  "Not now, not when I am so close to escaping this Realm forever.  Not like you," he said, turning to send a gloating look at Yami.  Yami glowered, but he knew that Yami Bakura had defeated him again.  He had bided his time for three years, ignoring Yami and slowly wearing down Yugi's spirit by constantly subjecting him to the horrors of the Shadow Realm.  

"Besides, I'm sure Mr. Mouto would like to have his grandson back with a perfect memory," Yami Bakura mused.  "It would be much more satisfying than this empty shell that you've brought back to him."  He sneered.  "Face the facts, Yami Yugi – you've lost.  There is no one to help you now."

Yami glared, but his gaze faltered and he lowered his head.  Yami Bakura's words were true.  There was no escape from the cage of deadly energy that Yami Bakura had spent three years creating for this specific purpose, and no way of warning Yugi.  Once again, he had been defeated…

"Yami!" Yugi gasped in surprise.  "What's going on?"

"I've failed you, Yugi," Yami said, refusing to meet his other's gaze.  "Yami Bakura has brought us both to the Shadow Realm, where we will be unable to hinder him as he takes control of your body and lives your life for you."  He turned away.  "It's over, Yugi."

Yugi gasped.  "Yami, what's gotten into you?  First you try to commit spirit-suicide by breaking the puzzle, and now you've become completely heartless!  Where's the Yami that stood by me for three years, even after I yelled at him to leave me alone?  Where's the Yami that never gave up?  _Where's the Yami that told me to play the final card and save my Grandpa?_"  Yami looked up, startled. 

"You remember that?"

Yugi smiled sadly.  "Not very well, I'm afraid.  It's one of the memories that I regained during my first illness." 

"How touching," Yami Bakura's voice came clearly to them.  "But I'm afraid I must leave you now – I have a life to live."  He smiled darkly at them, a smile that didn't reach his eyes, and disappeared.  

"You won't win!" Yugi yelled at the darkness.  "I won't let you!"

"I told you, Yugi, it's hopeless," Yami murmured.  He sat crosslegged on the floor, and Yugi sank down in front of him.  

"And I'm telling you now that you can't just give up," Yugi said.  A fire burned in his eyes.  "We still have a chance, Yami.  Yami Bakura has all of my old memories, yes, but he doesn't know anything that's happened since the duel on the mountain.  He doesn't know that I'm supposed to duel Kaiba tomorrow!"

"Yugi, are you feeling better today?" Mr. Mouto said, shaking his grandson awake.  Yugi's eyes flickered open, and Mr. Mouto took a small step away in surprise.  They were…different, somehow, darker and more sinister than they should be.  _Just my imagination_, he thought, scoffing at himself. _I'm overreacting. _

"Yes, Grandpa," Yugi said, sitting up.  "Actually, I'd like to go see my friends today."  Mr. Mouto laughed. 

"I'm sure you would," he said.  "But that will have to wait – Mr. Kaiba is already at the door, waiting for you."

_Seto Kaiba? _Yami Bakura thought, his mind racing.  _What could Kaiba want with Yugi? _

"What for, Grandpa?" he asked as innocently as possible.  

"Your duel, of course!" Mr. Mouto exclaimed.  "Good Heavens, you mean you don't remember?  The outcome of this duel will decide whether or not you're really Yugi!" 

A/N:  Heh…I couldn't just leave poor Yami Bakura alone, now could I?  I _had _to torture him somehow!  ^grin^


	18. Untitled

Disclaimer:  WookieeBeta has yet to win the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh!…  ^challenges Kazuki Takahashi to another game of Go Fish, Go Fish being one of the very few games she has cards for _and _remembers how to play^

Unknown Identity

Chapter Eighteen

_Can't lose…_Yami Bakura thought darkly.  _If Kaiba wins, it's all over for me!  _He pulled another card and glanced at it – Kuriboh.  _Puny fuzzball.  _

"Keep your mind on the game, Yugi," Kaiba snapped as Yami Bakura absentmindedly played Kuriboh in the place of Gaia the Fierce Knight.  "You said you'd give me a challenge, not a bore."

Yami Bakura growled.  _I promised you nothing,_ he thought.  _That damned Yugi Mouto did.  He's almost as much of an annoyance as the Pharaoh…_

"I'm just getting started," he said out loud.  "Don't worry, you'll get your challenge."  

"Hah," Kaiba snorted.  "Not if you keep playing like this.  But for now…. Blue Eyes White Dragon, in attack mode!"

_No!  That's two dragons on the field! _

"Blue Eyes, attack his Kuriboh!  White Lightning Strike!"  A brilliant flash of light, and the irritating beeping of life points falling.  

"I can't believe this!" Yami Bakura heard someone whisper in the crowd.  "Yugi's down to four hundred life points, while Kaiba's still at two thousand and five hundred!"  Yami Bakura growled under his breath again.  _Time to call in some reinforcements…_

Yaaah!  Yugi yelled as he felt his soul yanked from the Shadow Realm and deposited roughly on the floor of his soul room.  What the!?

Now, listen up, Yugi, Yami Bakura's slightly accented voice came.  If you don't win this match, you won't get accepted as yourself ever again.  So get in there and win it!

Wha…? Yugi shook his head violently.  Nuh-uh!  If I win this match, you'll just take over my body again!  Either way, I lose.

It's not as if you have a _choice_….  Yami Bakura relinquished control of Yugi's body, forcing the boy to take over before anyone noticed anything.  

Curse you, Yami Bakura! Yugi raged silently.  He looked at the cards in his hand.  _Hm…not good…_ A glance at the life points on the board in front of him told him that he was worse off than he thought.  _What?!  Kaiba's got a two thousand, one hundred life-point advantage over me!  Even _Bakura's _not that bad a player! _

"Yugi!  Pay attention to the game!" Kaiba snapped.  

"Oh, I'm paying attention," Yugi replied darkly.  Thinking rapidly, he pulled a card from his hand and played it face down.  "I'll play this one card face-down, and end my turn." 

_What? _Kaiba thought.  _He hasn't played a card face-down during the entire game!  Why switch tactics?  _

"Blue Eyes, attack his Feral Imp – White Lightning Attack!" the young CEO ordered.  _One more attack and this duel will be over, _he thought with a smug grin. 

"Not so fast," Yugi said, also grinning.  "Activate trap card!"

"A trap?" Kaiba parroted, dumbfounded.  _He's gone right back to his old tricks!  What's going on here? _

"And not just any trap, either," the younger duelist said.  "Mirror Force throws your attack right back at you!"

"Argh!" Kaiba growled.  "No matter…activate Negate Attack!"

"No!" Yugi exclaimed, startled.  "I should have known you'd have a trap card set up…"

"The way you've been dueling, it surprises me that you even know what a trap card _is, _Yugi," Kaiba sneered.  

_What? _Yami Bakura, what have you been doing? Yugi seethed.  

Dueling, the spirit said simply.  Why?  His tone was irritatingly innocent.  

Never mind. Yugi had to restrain himself from spouting a continuous string of curses at the dark spirit.  

"Your move, Kaiba," the young duelist said flatly, returning his attention to the game at hand.  

"Yugi!" Yami called again, but the darkness of the Shadow Realm provided no answer.  Yugi had disappeared, completely and inexplicably.  The ancient Pharaoh peered blindly through the murky black, shouting his hikari's name over and over again, but the deadly energy that kept him trapped also prevented him from seeing more than a few feet in any direction.  

_If Yami Bakura has hurt him in any way…_

_It all comes down to this card, _Yugi thought.  He looked at the card in his hand, hesitated. _If I play it, I win.  But…Yami Bakura will take over as soon as I do, and he'll send me back to the Shadow Realm.  _

"Your move, Yugi," Kaiba said.  His tone was icy, like the winter wind.  _I should have known that he'd do this! _ He glanced at the life-points display: 100 to 150, Yugi in the lead.  They had one monster each, both in attack mode.  Their attack and defense points were equal.  _And with my Blue-Eyes as weakened as it is, it almost doesn't matter what card he draws – any magic card to strengthen his Soldier of Stone or any monster in his deck could destroy it.  _

_The Dark Magician,_ Yugi thought.  _Of all the times to draw him, it _would _be now.  _He sighed audibly.  _No matter what I do, I lose…and Yami Bakura wins.  _The card fell from his hand, landed face-up on the board.  

"The Dark Magician!" Kaiba exclaimed.  He didn't notice Yugi's hand enfolding his deck.  "But – no, this can't be!"

"It is," Yugi said quietly.  "I concede the match."  

Kaiba blinked.  "You what?"

"I surrender, Kaiba.  Don't make me say it again."  

"But the Dark Magician – "

"Was never played."

_What?_ Yami Bakura's outraged voice echoed through Yugi's mind.  The young duelist grinned slightly.  

Sorry, Bakura.  You lose.

You fool of a mortal!  I will _still _control your body!  Yugi felt Yami Bakura wrest control from him forcibly.  And I will own your Millennium Puzzle!  Yugi could hear his sneer.  

You're welcome to it, he responded quietly.  Concentrating, he allowed his soul to slip quietly from his body and return to the Shadow Realm – and Yami. 

"Yugi!" the ancient Pharaoh exclaimed.  "What happened?"

"Yami Bakura forced me to finish the duel with Kaiba," Yugi said, eyes downcast and voice dispirited.  

"And?" Yami prompted.  His heart sank, but Yugi seemed to cheer up slightly. 

"I surrendered the match to Kaiba.  It was the only way out."

"What do you mean?" 

"If I won, Yami Bakura would have just taken over and sent me back to the Shadow Realm, this time for good.  If I lost, that would mean I would officially not be me.  But by surrendering when I could have won, it's completely up to Kaiba – a wild card, where no one knows the outcome." 

Yami nodded.  "A risky move – almost like playing Time Roulette.  But…"  He hesitated. 

"What is it, Yami?"

"Like you said, there's no way of knowing what will happen.  What if Yami Bakura decides to keep your body regardless of what Kaiba decides?"

Yugi shrugged.  "That's a risk I'll just have to take."

Yugi panted, not bothering to control his breathing as long as Yami slept.  He could feel the Shadow Realm eating away at his strength, and he knew he wouldn't last very long.  _Even if Yami Bakura decides he doesn't like being an outcast in my body, _he thought darkly, _I may not get the opportunity to return to it anyway._  He grimaced.  

"No!" Yami shouted suddenly.  He began struggling, as if against some unseen foe.  

"Yami?   Yami, what's wrong?"  Yugi shook his yami by the shoulders, hoping to wake him from whatever nightmare he was trapped in.  "Yami, wake up!"  Yami, however, didn't seem to hear him.  

"Uhn!"  Yugi landed hard on his back a few feet away, gasping for breath.  Yami's unforeseen punch had landed directly in his stomach, leaving him stunned and breathless.  Looking up, he shuddered as he saw that his head was only inches away from the wall of deadly energy that held both he and Yami trapped.  

"Yami, wake up!" the young duelist grunted, struggling to his feet and stepping to Yami's side.  He pinned the ancient Pharaoh's arms to the ground and sat on his chest, hoping to subdue him long enough to snap him out of whatever dream he was having.  

"Aaah!" Yami yelled, snapping awake.  "Yu-Yugi?  What are you doing?"

"Wishing I'd gotten out of the way of your punch faster," Yugi panted, holding his still-sore stomach.  Yami's blank look made it clear that he still didn't understand.  "You were having a nightmare or something," Yugi explained.  "I tried to wake you up, but you punched me – on accident, of course," he added hastily, seeing the look on Yami's face. 

"I'm sorry, Yugi!  I…well, there's no excuse."  He looked away, refusing to meet his other's eyes.

"No apology necessary, Yami," Yugi said cheerfully.  He tried to disguise the weariness he was beginning to feel, not wanting his yami to see how the Shadow Realm was affecting him.  He had enough on his mind already.  

Yami sighed.  "I wish I could agree.  If I hadn't interfered, hadn't taken over, hadn't made my presence known, none of this would have happened…" 

"Yeah, and we would have never become friends, would have never met Ashkari…Yami, believe me when I say you have nothing to apologize for!"  But Yami just shook his head and fell silent.  

"Yugi!" Anzu cried, running up and throwing her arms around him.  "I can't believe it's really you!" 

"Yeah, where were ya?" Jounouchi asked.  "I mean, we were in those woods for over two weeks and never heard so much as a peep out of ya!"

Yami Bakura gave an embarrassed smile and shrugged.  "I don't really know, to tell the truth," he said.  "I don't remember anything about it."  _Damn that Yugi Mouto! _he raged mentally.  _That little runt scampered out of here and left me to deal with this mess… _

"Well, it's great having you back, Yugi," Honda said, slinging an arm around the shorter boy's shoulders.  "Hey, what do you say we go have a hamburger?"

"Sounds good to me!" Anzu said. 

"Yeah, let's go!" Jounouchi agreed readily.  

"Uh, sure," Yami Bakura said slightly more hesitantly.  "Yeah, a hamburger sounds good…"

"I dunno, buddy," Jounouchi muttered under his breath to Honda a few hours later.  They were at the back of the small arcade room, conversing in low tones that couldn't be heard over the obnoxiously loud games.  Yugi and Anzu were still eating, slightly less enthusiastic about the arcade than their taller friends.  "I mean, he _looks _like Yugi and all, but…" He shrugged.  "He just doesn't seem the same."

"Well, he _was _missing for three years," Honda pointed out.  "That would change anybody." 

"Yeah, but…  You see it too, don't you?  There's just something not quite right about him.  And do you remember the way he dueled?  That wasn't his style at all, not until the very end!"

Honda nodded.  "Yeah.  I don't like saying it, but I feel the same way.  But even so, what can we do about it?"

A thoughtful look passed over Jounouchi's face as he blasted a few enemy fighters into digital nothingness on the game screen.  "Hm…"

"Hey, guys!" Yugi chirped as he walked into the arcade.  "What's going on?"

"Same stuff, different game," Jounouchi replied off-handedly, shrugging.  "The games here haven't changed at all – I can still beat every single one of them!"  Yugi laughed.  

"I bet I can beat them faster than you can!" he said.  

"Hah, right!" Jounouchi responded, punching the shorter boy lightly on the arm.  "Show me and I might believe you."  

Yugi glanced around, and his eyes settled on two identical games off to the side.  "What about those?" he suggested, pointing.  "We can start them at the same time, and whoever finished first wins."

"That'll be me," Jounouchi said confidently.  

"I'm sure," Honda laughed.  "If, that is, Yugi's console breaks in the middle of the game and he has to stop to fix it."

"Hey!"  But Jounouchi's protests went unnoticed, hidden by his companion's laughter.  

"Let's go," Yugi said.  Honda noted a strange gleam in his shortest friend's eyes as they dropped their coins in and started their machines simultaneously.   

"And let the best player win," Anzu quoted a variation on one of Yugi's favorite sayings.  

"What's with Yugi?" Anzu whispered to Honda a few moments later.  "I mean, Jounouchi's a good player and all, but he shouldn't be _that _far ahead of Yugi!  I've seen him beat this game hundreds of times!"  Honda nodded in agreement.  

"And…Jounouchi wins!" the tall blonde shouted only seconds later as his console began playing the "Winner" video.  

"_What?_" Yugi exclaimed, startled.  "But – how?"  

Jounouchi's eyes narrowed.  "That's a good question, _Yugi_.  So why don't you help answer it by telling us exactly what happened while you were gone?" 

"I told you, I don't remember," Yami Bakura answered truthfully.  

"Like we're going to believe that," Honda scoffed.  "Seriously, Yugi, we were in that forest for a while too.  We know what it was like.  _You can tell us._" 

Yami Bakura shook his head.  "I – I can't," he said haltingly, hoping that Yugi's natural weakling appearance would work in his favor, to make his friends back down.  He didn't have an explanation for the missing three years.  _I should have stolen the rest of his memories while I had the chance, _the dark spirit thought sourly.  "It's…." He allowed his voice to break and fade away.  

"It's all right, Yugi," Anzu said, drawing him close and embracing him.  "Come on, guys, he went through more than we did.  Give him a break."

But Jounouchi shook his head.  "I'm not so sure, Anzu.  I mean, come on.  Yugi wouldn't lose a simple game like that one!" He gestured to the console Yugi had been using.  "Even Bakura's yami could have beat that thing if he was still around!"

Yami Bakura forced himself to maintain a semblance of calmness.  _That insolent cur…if only he knew… _

"Someone say my name?" Bakura said as he rounded the corner.  "Hey, guys, what's up – Yugi!"  He stood stock-still in shock for a moment, then bounded forward and embraced the shorter duelist.  "When did you get here?" he demanded, holding Yugi at arm's length.  

"What toilet has your head been stuck in for the last two days?" Jounouchi exclaimed in surprise.  

"I just got in from the United States," Bakura said, shrugging.  "My dad didn't want me to spend two weeks alone, not after…well." Jounouchi nodded understandingly.  "But I hadn't heard anything about you turning up, Yugi," the light-haired boy said, bringing the conversation back to the young duelist. 

"I haven't exactly been very noisy about it," Yami Bakura replied in what he hoped was a calm, innocent tone.  _If anyone can recognize me for who I am, it's Ryou, _he thought darkly.  _I need to be careful… _

"Haven't been noisy?" Jounouchi scoffed.  "I think the only thing that could be noisier than challenging Kaiba to a duel on your first day back would be to run up and down the road screaming!" 

That did it. 

"Be quiet, you – " Yami Bakura bit off his words, hoping he hadn't already said too much.  

"Yugi?" Bakura said, giving him a queer look. 

"Calm down, Yugi, he was only joking," Anzu said, patting the air.  "Right, Jounouchi?"  Her voice had a steely edge to it now.  

"Yeah.  Yeah, I was just joking."  But Jounouchi's voice said otherwise.  

"Yeah, just joking," Honda said in the same tone of voice.  

"What's up with Yugi?" Ryou Bakura asked Jounouchi a while later.  Yugi had gone home, saying he wanted to spend some time with his grandfather.  "He was never that short-tempered." 

"Yeah," Jounouchi agreed.  "And he can't play games, either."

"Reminds me of your yami," Honda commented.  

Ryou blinked.  "What?"

"I said he reminds me of your yami," Honda repeated. 

Ryou's eyes narrowed.  "Yes…"

"Yugi!" Yami called, concerned.  The boy had collapsed in the middle of his sentence.  "Yugi, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he gasped.  

"What happened there?  You collapsed," Yami explained.  A cloud passed over his face as understanding struck – _mortals cannot survive long here in the Shadow Realm!  They don't have enough magical energy!  Yami Bakura knows, it, too – he sent Yugi here to die…_

"Yami?" the young duelist interrupted his thoughts.  "What's wrong?  You look angry."

Yami looked at his hikari fondly, trying to quell the rage that was threatening to overwhelm his usually calm demeanor.  "It's nothing," he lied.  "How do you feel?"

"I'm just tired, that's all," Yugi replied.  Yami nodded, then drew his other closer.  

"You need to conserve your strength.  Why don't you take a nap?" he suggested.  Yugi nodded, and the ancient Pharaoh pulled him closer.  Within minutes, the young duelist was immersed in a deep sleep on Yami's shoulder. 

_Damn you, Yami Bakura…_

A/N:  Lots of POV changes this chapter, neh?  Oh well…what can you say, I was hyper when I wrote it, and besides, there wasn't that much for any one person to say anyway.  ^turns music up to drown out the sound of the Vacuum Cleaner of Doom^ (Can you tell I don't like vacuum cleaners?)


	19. Untitled

Disclaimer:  No, WookieeBeta _still _does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!. 

Unknown Identities

Chapter Nineteen

"Yugi!" Mr. Mouto called again.  "Now where did that grandson of mine run off to?  Give me a moment, Bakura, and I'll see if he's in his room."

"Thank you, Mr. Mouto," Ryou Bakura said, bowing.  "I'll wait here, if you don't mind."  The old man nodded and made his way up the stairs to Yugi's room. 

"Yugi?"  He swung the door open.  "Bakura's here to see you."

"Ryou?"  Yami Bakura blinked as he looked up from his deck.  "Here?  Now?"  Yugi's grandfather nodded.  "All right, I'm coming," the short duelist said.  

"Hey, Yugi," Ryou said.  "How are you?"

"Fine, and you?"

Ryou inclined his head.  "Same as usual.  I was wondering…" His voice trailed off as he hesitated.  

"Yes?" 

"May I speak to you for a moment – in private?" He motioned with his head toward Mr. Mouto.  

"Uh, sure, let's step outside."  They sat on the curb a few feet from the door.  "Now, what did you want to ask?"

Ryou peered at him intently.  "Tell me what happened in the forest, Yugi," he said gently.  "Jounouchi's right, we were there too.  We know what it was like.  And if you want to be able to live your old life again, you'll have to get used to trusting your friends again – if, of course, you _can _trust anyone."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yami Bakura snapped.  

"Oh, nothing, just a slip of the tongue," Ryou said innocently.   Yami Bakura glared at him.  Down the street, Jounouchi mouthed a question:  _Yugi or not? _ Ryou shook his head slightly, imperceptibly, knowing that his yami would be too involved in trying to keep Yugi under control to notice a small sign.  Impulsively, he laid his hand on Yugi's shoulder. 

"Hold on, Yugi.  Just hold on."

_What?_ Yami Bakura thought.  _What does he mean by that?  _But before he could answer his own question, something struck him forcibly in the back of the head and the world went black….

"Hold on, Yugi," the ancient Pharaoh pleaded, holding the young duelist's trembling form.  "Just hold on."  Three days trapped in the Shadow Realm had taken their toll on Yugi's young body, and he was constantly slipping in and out of consciousness. 

_If I ever get my hands on that accursed Yami Bakura, _he thought, _he'll regret the day he was born…_  

Yaaaah! Yami Bakura yelled as he woke suddenly.  What the?!

Good, you're awake, Ryou Bakura's voice came.  Care to explain what you've done to Yugi?  Casting around mentally, Yami Bakura realized he was no longer controlling the young duelist's body – in fact, he wasn't even in it.  He was back inside the Millennium Ring.  

Damn you meddling mortal! he raged.  What have you done?!

Ryou laughed.  _You're _asking _me _what I've done?  Why, Yami, I thought you would have realized it instantly – after all, you're the one who spent your life doing it.

You've trapped me inside the Millennium Ring again, the dark spirit spat.  You'll pay for this, _hikari_.  He pronounced the last word distinctly, venomously, so that it became a curse rather than the affectionate nickname that Yami Yugi used it as.  

Yes, and now the question is: What have you done with Yugi's spirit? 

It was Yami Bakura's turn to laugh.  You're too late to rescue your little friend, he said, gloating.  The Shadow Realm will have shredded his soul by now.  Ryou's eyes went wide. 

"What is it, Bakura?" Honda demanded.  "What'd he say?"

"He's trapped Yugi – and probably Yami Yugi as well – in the Shadow Realm!" 

"I really hate this place," Jounouchi said uncertainly as he materialized.  "Hey, Honda, where are you?  Honda!"

"Right here, buddy," the brown-haired teen replied, stepping closer.  "Come on, we need to go look for Yugi and Yami."  

"Right," Jounouchi agreed.  The duo set off in the murky blackness.  

"Yugi!  Yugi, where are you?"

"Yaaaaaamiiiiii…" The former Pharaoh's head snapped up as voices floated to his ears.  

"Over here!" he called.  "Damn this cage," he murmured as he tried to peer past its blinding light and into the blackness beyond.  

"Yami!" one of the two voices exclaimed in surprise.  "Where are you?"

"Right here!"

"Keep talking," the other voice instructed.  

"Honda?  Jounouchi?  Is that you?" the spirit asked in confusion as the two stepped into the light from the cage.  They nodded. 

"Bakura – Ryou, that is, not Yami Bakura – figured out that his yami had trapped you both in the Shadow Realm, and sent us to find you," Honda explained.  

"It's time to get you two back to the real world," Jounouchi added. 

But Yami shook his head.  "I'm afraid that won't be as easy as it sounds."  Shifting Yugi into one arm, he gestured with the other at the cage surrounding him.  "Yami Bakura planned this for three years.  This cage is made entirely of dark energy, and to touch it is fatal."  He found he couldn't meet the eyes of the two formerly hopeful teens standing just feet away – feet that may as well have been miles.  

"Go back to Ryou," he said softly.  "Tell him that there's nothing you can do." 

"_What?_" Ryou exclaimed.  "Yami actually told you that?  That's not like him…"

"Yeah, well, he's trapped in a cage of Shadow energy for all of eternity, and it doesn't look like Yugi's going to survive much longer," Jounouchi said, collapsing onto the park bench.  "I think he has the right to be a little depressed."  Ryou sighed. 

"I hate to admit it, but you're right.  And so is Yami.  There's nothing I know of that can help him," he said in a tone of defeat.  "My yami just planned too well, I suppose."  He bowed his head, dropping his eyes to the ground so that he wouldn't have to see the pained looks on his friends' faces.  _Red, black, and gold, _he thought, looking at the leaves and dirt around his feet.  _Just like Yugi's hair.  But I don't suppose we'll be seeing much more of that anymore, with his body soulless like it is…Wait!  _His eyes glinted suddenly.  

"There may still be a way," he said thoughtfully. 

A/N:  Okay, a lot of OOCness there, too… ^sweats^ If I ever get around to it, I may rewrite this entire thing and try to fix some of that…but at the moment I'm too lazy ^grin^  And remember, chapter title suggestions are gratefully accepted…


	20. Untitled

Disclaimer:  Still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!… that Kazuki Takahashi, he's _good _at Go Fish!  ^sweatdrops^

Unknown Identity

Chapter Twenty

Ryou Bakura walked slowly down a long dark hallway, running his fingers along the wall as he went.  _Not so different from my own_, he reflected.  _But not quite the same, either – darker, more sinister perhaps.  It's fairly tingling with unleashed power – Yami's, no doubt.  _He paused.  

_Is that a light up ahead? _he wondered.  _Or maybe – _he looked closer.  _Yes!  A door! _ He ran to the door, nudged it open.  It swung inward easily and quietly – _it's not squeaky, like mine, _he thought in surprise.  The small room it revealed was well lit with a gentle light, and almost bare – if you ignored the huge tree, that is.  

"What's that?" Ryou exclaimed in surprise as his eyes fell on a small rectangular block at the base of the tree.  Walking forward, he picked it up – a Duel Monsters deck.  He set back down carefully.  

_Nothing of use here, _he thought glumly.  _A tree and a set of cards won't help Yugi and Yami Yugi at all. _ Turning, he walked back out of Yugi's soul room.  _Now to find Yami's…and I bet that's it right there!  _The door was directly across from Yugi's door.  He pushed, expecting it to open as easily as Yugi's had, but was unpleasantly surprised.  

"What?"  He shoved harder, and finally managed to force it open a few inches.  A slight draft of chilly air from inside wafted across his face.  

_How can Yami stand that cold? _he wondered as he shoved the door the rest of the way open.  _And this darkness!  _The former Pharaoh's soul room was almost as dark and uncomfortable as the Shadow Realm itself, a stark contrast to Yugi's warm and well-lit chamber.  Shaking his head to free himself of such thoughts, Ryou took a step forward – 

And threw himself backwards just in time to prevent himself from falling into the deep hole in front of him.  

"What the!" 

A harsh light appeared in front of him, throwing its rays around the chamber, and Ryou could just make out the numerous staircases, doors, and dark passageways leading off from the walls.  He raised his eyes to the source of the light and gasped.  

"The Dark Magician!" he exclaimed.  The head of the mage's staff lowered until it was aimed directly at the light-haired boy.  Slowly, so slowly, it was enveloped in a blinding light, until Ryou could no longer bear to look at it.  

"No, wait, stop!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet and backing up until he ran into the wall.  "Don't attack!  I'm a friend!"  The brilliant light dimmed for a moment, but then burst back into life with renewed intensity.  "Please!  I'm trying to find a way to help Yugi and Yami!"  

"What?" the Dark Magician asked, startled.  Both the garish light that surrounded him and that at the end of his staff faded instantly, and the chill darkness rushed back in.  Ryou breathed a sigh of relief. 

"My yami trapped both Yugi and Yami Yugi in the Shadow Realm," he explained rapidly.  "I don't know of any way to dispel the cage of Shadow energy he's surrounded them with, and I thought Yami might have a memory somewhere that would help."  

The Dark Magician shook his head.  "Even if he does, he doesn't know where to find it," he said.  "The Pharaoh's memories are stored so far back in his chambers that even he cannot find them."

Ryou's spirits fell.  "Then there really is no way to help them," he sighed.  "Yami was right." 

"Perhaps not," the Dark Magician spoke up, his tone thoughtful.  "I usually don't interfere with the lives of mortals, but…please, tell me more about this cage."

"I don't know much about it," Ryou said, shaking his head, "except that it's made of the deadly Shadow energy, and that to touch it is fatal."

"A Shadow trap," the tall mage said, nodding.  "Do not lose hope just yet, young one.  There may yet be a way.  Can you find your way to the Pharaoh again?"

Ryou nodded.  "I wasn't the one who spoke with them, but I'm sure Jounouchi or Honda can lead us back to them," he replied.  "Why, what do you intend to do?"

"It's an ancient ritual," the Dark Magician said, "and very dangerous.  I will have to enlist the help of my master to make it work, but…" He shook his head.  "That is irrelevant at the moment.  Come, let us go to the Shadow Realm."

"But I can't go from here!" Ryou exclaimed.  "I must return to my own body first."

"Then wait while I prepare myself, and I will go with you."

"All right."  Ryou followed the mage into the hallway and a few paces down the hall, and then removed himself from Yugi's mind.  He didn't understand how the Dark Magician intended to follow him, but wasn't going to waste the time that it would take to ask.  _Not, of course, that he would explain it to me anyway, _he thought wryly.  The Dark Magician was, if anything, a man of few words and strong loyalties.  

You! the mage snapped as soon as he was inside Ryou's mind.  Soul-stealer, I should destroy your very mind for what you've done to the Pharaoh! 

Do you really think you could manage that? Yami Bakura sneered.  Fool.

Both of you, shut up, _now!_ Ryou shouted.  We haven't the time for this!  Yami, I'll let you and the Dark Magician go head-to-head later, but for now, _can it!_  He could feel his yami's surprise – never before had he been bold enough to yell at the dark spirit.

"Jounouchi, Honda," he said, startling the two teenagers in question.  "Care for another trip to the Shadow Realm?  I need someone to lead the Dark Magician and me to Yami and Yugi.  He says there may be a way to free them."  Jounouchi began to sweat, but he nodded. 

"I'll go back," he said.  "For Yami and Yugi." 

"I'll go, too," Honda added.  

But Ryou shook his head.  "I can only transport one of you there and back safely.  Controlling my Millennium Ring and keeping my yami at bay this long is exhausting me, and I don't want to leave one of you stranded in the Shadow Realm.  As soon as you lead us to Yami and Yugi, I'm going to send you back."

Jounouchi nodded.  "All right, then what are we waiting for?"

"Good luck," Honda and Anzu said simultaneously.   

Ryou's Millennium Ring glowed brightly as the three souls – Ryou's, Jounouchi's, and the Dark Magician's – were transported to the dreaded Shadow Realm…

"Yami!" Jounouchi called again.  "Hey, man, where are you?"

"I thought you knew where they were," Ryou said.  

"I do," Jounouchi replied, shrugging, "but I'd like to go the right direction, you know?  It's kind of hard to tell in this place.  Now hush while I figure out which direction they're in…" He shouted again. 

"Over here!" the former Pharaoh's voice rang out clearly.  The tall blonde took off in the direction of the voice, counting his paces carefully.  

"One hundred and seventeen, one hundred and eighteen, one hundred and nineteen – there, the cage!"  He motioned for Ryou to hurry.  

"Coming," the much shorter pale-haired boy panted.  "Thanks, Jounouchi."

"Not a problem," the blonde said, waving as he disappeared back into the real world.  

"Hold on, Yugi, Yami!" Ryou called.  "We're coming!"

"Ryou?" Yami murmured.  "What's he doing here?" He peered out through the brilliant bars of Shadow energy, but couldn't yet see the boy's pale hair.  

"Yami!"  The teen breathed a sigh of relief as he came into view.  "I almost didn't expect to see you, knowing my yami.  How's Yugi?"

"Not good," the ancient spirit admitted.  "He's been in and out of consciousness for a day now.  If he doesn't get out of the Shadow Realm soon…" But he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.  "But Ryou, why are you here?  I told Jounouchi to tell you – " He broke off as the Dark Magician came into full view.  "What?  What are you doing here?" he exclaimed. 

"No one ever told me that my duties as your protector only lie in your chambers," the mage said darkly.  "But to destroy this cage, I'm going to need your help.  Are you strong enough?"

"I'll help regardless," Yami said.  "Let's get started."

A/N:  Once again, running off of my own twisted views of how all this YGO stuff works…doesn't really follow the dubbed (or the manga, as far as I know), but ^shrug^ it works for this fic!  May the wind beneath your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks!  ^has been reading _way _too much Tolkien stuff^


	21. Untitled

Disclaimer:  ^sighs and hangs up sign that says 'WookieeBeta does not own Yu-Gi-Oh!' in big bright capital letters^

Unknown Identity

Chapter Twenty-One

"Master, please," the Dark Magician pleaded.  "I do not have the strength or the skill to do this alone!"

"To do so would be to break the rules of the Game, young apprentice," the Chaos Mage said sternly.  "You know this as well as I." 

"But Master – " 

"Chaos Mage," Yami interrupted.  "I know this is beyond the scope of the Game.  But the life of a duelist is at stake – the duelist whose deck you reside in.  If he falls, you and all of your companions will remain in the Shadow Realm for all of eternity, and there will be no more duels.  Is that the future you want for the Dark Magician?  Or for your other apprentice, the Dark Magician Girl?" 

The Chaos Mage looked at the ancient Pharaoh for a moment, then sighed.  

"All right.  But on one condition only."

"What is that?"  
"I want an opportunity to clobber the person who started this entire mess."

"I'm afraid you may have to fight your apprentice for that one," Yami laughed.  "Ryou, he's your yami – the decision is yours."

"You two are welcome to him," the pale-haired boy said, grinning slightly.  But the smile disappeared as Yugi moaned.  

"Yugi!" the Dark Magician and Yami exclaimed simultaneously.  

"We must hurry," the Chaos Mage said.  His eyes closed in concentration as he prepared to cast one of the most powerful and least-known spells in the Game.  "Prepare yourselves… Three…two…one…_now!_"  

The Dark Magician and Yami both poured as much of their magical energy as they dared into the spell, combining their strength with that of the Chaos Mage.  He shouted a single unintelligible word.  Yugi's eyes blinked open.  

The Chaos Mage shouted another word, this time slightly louder, and a point of brilliant light appeared in front of him.  It expanded slightly, elongating, and he shouted the same word again.  The light expanded slightly more.  He continued doing this for several minutes. 

"It's not enough," Yami grunted.  "At this rate, we'll never succeed!"  The two mages didn't answer, but the Dark Magician's eyes narrowed in determination.  Ryou could see the strain in all of their faces.  The Chaos Mage was obviously struggling to keep the spell going. 

"We have to end this soon!" the Dark Magician muttered.  "I can't go on much longer."  The Chaos Mage nodded in agreement, then shouted a third unintelligible word.  The strip of light solidified and fell to the ground.  The Chaos Mage bent to pick it up, but seemed to think better of it. 

"Perhaps it would be best if you had the honor," he said to his apprentice.  The Dark Magician glanced at him in surprise, but nodded and bent to retrieve the crystalline sword.  The Chaos Mage held his staff for him as the less powerful mage began slicing through the bars of energy that held Yami and Yugi captive.  Ryou could see that both spellcasters and Yami were pale and sweating, and he knew that even though the first part of the spell was done, they still had to use all of their strength to maintain it.  

"No!" the Dark Magician exclaimed as the sword began to disintegrate in his hands.  He had only managed to slice through five of the horizontal bars – all fifteen of them had to be cut apart before the Shadow energy would disperse.  The Chaos Mage whispered something, and the sword reformed. 

"Hurry," he urged his apprentice – not that he needed the urging.  Band after band of deadly energy fell apart before the blade's diamond-hard edge.  

_Just three more, _Yami thought.  _And then we'll be able to get Yugi out… _But his heart sank once more as the sword all but disappeared.  

"I can't…" The Dark Magician didn't get the opportunity to finish his sentence before he collapsed, falling dangerously near to the deadly Shadow energy.  

"No!" the Chaos Mage shouted.  Yami suddenly understood just how much the older mage cared about his apprentice.  

"You have to…finish…the spell," he gasped.  The Chaos Mage lifted what was left of the sword and swung it through one of the remaining bands.  As always, Yami felt the Shadow Realm drain more of his energy to compensate for the loss of its own.  His vision swam.  _No! _he thought.  _We can't give in yet! _ The blood rushing in his ears made it impossible for him to hear Yugi moan softly behind him.  

The Chaos Mage jerked, startled, as the sword once more became completely solid in his grasp.  

"Do it now!" Yugi and Ryou gasped together, sweat breaking out on their faces as they shared the strain of maintaining the spell.  The blade cut cleanly through the last two bands and disappeared.  The Chaos Mage fell to his knees by his apprentice.  

Head spinning, Yami gathered his other into his arms and stood.  The brilliant light of the cage faded into the blackness of the Shadow Realm, and the bands of energy dissipated harmlessly into the murk.  

"Oh, no…" he murmured as he knelt by the Dark Magician.  The mage was hardly breathing.  He placed his hand on the Magician's sweaty brow.  "Come on, don't give in yet," he urged.  He allowed nearly all of what precious little energy he had left to flow into the Dark Magician's trembling form.  His eyes blinked open slowly and came to rest on Yami's exhausted face. 

"Yami…"  

"Come on, Dark Magician," the ancient spirit said.  "It's time that you and I went back to where we belong."

A/N:  And no, I just can't see the Chaos Mage as being all quiet and sinister and stuff – he's the _Chaos_ Mage, after all!  ^grin^  And chaos is good…we _like _chaos….  ^gets strange gleam in eye^


	22. Untitled

Disclaimer:  ^points to sign that she hung up in the previous chapter and thinks 'Now, why didn't I do that earlier?'^

Unknown Identity

Chapter Twenty-Two

"I cannot thank you enough," Yami said to the Chaos Mage.  "Without your help, Yugi would be dead and I would be little better."

"And that yami of mine would be much more vocal," Ryou said with more than a hint of a grin.  

"You are most welcome," the mage replied, "both of you.  And," he added, leaning close and whispering in Yami's ear, "don't tell my apprentice this, but I've got something of a soft spot for young duelists, Yugi in particular.  If you ever have trouble with that soul-stealer again, I'd be more than happy to take care of him for you."  His eyes glinted.  

"I'll keep that in mind," Yami laughed.  "But I'm afraid I have to leave – I've got a very confused young duelist to take care of."

"Then farewell, Pharaoh," the Chaos Mage said, bowing.  

"Farewell, Chaos Mage," Yami replied in kind.  The mage disappeared, returning to the Shadow Realm.  "That is, until next time."

"What?" Jounouchi said, raising an eyebrow.  "Did I just hear you say 'next time'?"

"Oh, no," Honda said, shaking his head.  "This isn't happening again, Yami."

"I hope you're right," the spirit replied.  "If you'll excuse me…" He closed his eyes for a moment, and when they opened again it was a very tired Yugi peering out.  

"Jounouchi, Honda!" he exclaimed in surprise.  Then he blinked.  "Wait a second…how…"

Yes, Yugi, Yami said, his smile evident in his voice.  Those are your friends, from before.

But…how do I know them? Yugi asked, confused.  Suddenly I know so much more – all of these memories I didn't know I had…I don't understand, Yami!

I suppose I should have told you earlier, Yugi, and I apologize, the spirit replied.  Before he left, the Chaos Mage used another ancient spell to restore your memories.

There was a shocked silence.  Yugi blinked. 

"Hey, man, wake up!" Jounouchi said, waving his hand in front of the young duelist's face.  "Phone call."

"Oh…thanks, Jounouchi," Yugi said, but his thoughts were still on the miraculous return of his memory.  _So much that I thought was lost forever…_  But his thoughts ground to a halt as the voice on the other end of the line spoke up.  

"Welcome back, Yugi.  In the light of the somewhat inconclusive end to our last duel, it has been decided that another duel is needed to decide your identity – this one a bit more private than the last.  Come to my mansion tomorrow at eleven o'clock."

"Sounds great," Yugi said.  "I'll be there."

_I'm sure you will be, _Kaiba thought as he placed the phone on the receiver.  

"Another duel?" Mokuba asked from behind him.  "But, Seto, I thought you had already decided that he _is _Yugi!" 

"Of course he is, Mokuba," the young CEO replied with a tight grin.  "It's just that I have a new card that I want to test, and Yugi is the perfect duelist to test it on."  Kaiba toyed with the card, glancing only occasionally at the strange image on its face – an upside-down pyramid hung on a chain, a perfect representation of the young duelist's Millennium Puzzle.  _Indeed, who better?_

_Yes, who better? _Yami Bakura thought with a smug smile.  

A/N:  Well, more of an epilogue than a chapter, but then again I suppose Dark Duels was closer to a prologue, anyway…oh well.  The first page or so of a sequel to this is written, but it may never get finished – it all depends on what the Plot Bunnies want.  (And at the moment, they want me to get off the computer and go read The Hobbit.)  Don't forget, chapter title suggestions are gratefully accepted! 

Reviews are also appreciated (especially criticism, but I won't demand that since I have a hard time giving it myself), flames will be used to burn various schoolwork and the occasional building…  


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